


Disaster to Some, Attack to Others

by ForeverFlamingFire



Series: Disaster [2]
Category: Thief Lord (2006)
Genre: Beating, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Love, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-13
Updated: 2016-02-13
Packaged: 2018-05-20 02:08:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 39,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5988460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForeverFlamingFire/pseuds/ForeverFlamingFire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Dottore Massimo beats Scipio, he escapes to the Stella and vows to go after his father</p>
<p>Originally posted on FanFiction.net</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

The rain beat down around the Star Palace as Hornet, Riccio, and Mosca slid out the door.

“We’ll be back in an hour,” said Hornet. Prosper nodded and shut the door after his friends. Prosper turned and headed back into the main room and settled in a chair with a book.

***

Scipio ran out the door of 223 Fondamente Bollani. He ran through the rain to the Stella and hammered on the door.

***

Prosper was startled out of his reverie when he heard the knock on the door. He closed his book, set it down and went to the door. Opening the door, Prosper saw a soaked and dripping Scipio.

“Scipio, oh my god, what wrong?” asked Prosper.

“He’s...” Scipio started.

“What?”

“He wants to send me into the military.”

“And that gives you a reason to run here in the rain?”

“No,” said Scipio. “But the fact that he beat me last night does.”

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah...” Scipio paused, pressing his fingers to his forehead.

“Are you okay?” Prosper rested a hand on Scipio’s shoulder.

“No.”

“Let’s get you inside.” Prosper tightened his grip on Scipio’s arm and helped him into the main room.

Once there, Prosper looked at Scipio as he sat down. Prosper sat down next to him. “What’s wrong?”

“Headache,” Scipio muttered.

Prosper pressed a hand to Scipio’s forehead and gasped. “Scip, you’re burning up.”

“I know, but I’m not going home.”

“Then you can stay here. Lie down.”

***

Scipio was resting under blankets on Prosper’s bed. Prosper was sitting beside, him, deep in one of Hornet’s books.

“Prosper,” Scipio murmured,

“Hey,” said Prosper, looking up from his book. “How are you feeling?”

“Better.”

“Good.” Prosper leaned forward and stroked hair out of Scipio’s eyes. That’s when Prosper noticed the blood on the covers. “What happened?”

“My father beat me, I told you that,” Scipio replied. “I tried to tell you that. I tried to tell him that I didn’t want to go into the military.”

“If you get this crap from him, you shouldn’t stand up to him.”

“I want to.”

“I won’t let you die.”

“I haven’t rebelled in all my sixteen years. I want to do it now.”

“I’ll help you. You shouldn’t have to deal with this.” Prosper lifted the blankets. He gasped. Scipio’s left side was covered in blood. When Prosper reached out to feel the injuries, Scipio cried out with pain. “Scip,” Prosper whispered.

“Prop...” Scipio started to tell Prosper off for using the nickname, then cried out again. He lurched up. Prosper caught Scipio in his arms.

“It’s okay, you just need to relax.”

“Okay.”

“I’m just going to clean off the blood.”

“Do it.”

“I’m not going to do anything except clean and bandage it.”

Prosper left Scipio and fetched hot water, cloth and bandages. He returned and knelt next to Scipio, peeling back the blankets. Prosper dipped a cloth, into the water and ran it down Scipio’s blood-streaked side. When he was done, Prosper supported Scipio against himself and wound bandages around Scipio’s torso, then laid him back down, flinging the covers over Scipio.

“Prop!” Riccio yelled from downstairs an hour later. With a glance at Scipio, who was asleep, Prosper left him and went to join his friends.

“How was it?” asked Mosca.

“I have to tell you something,” said Prosper.

“What is it?” asked Hornet.

“It’s Scipio,” said Prosper. “He came here soon after you left. He stood up to his father about the military where he doesn’t want to go and his father beat him.”

“How is he?” asked Hornet.

“Bad,” said Prosper.

“Define,” Hornet commanded.

“He was bleeding pretty bad, but I stopped it,” said Prosper. “He has at least one broken rib, maybe more. He has a fever as well.”

“Oh my god,” Hornet murmured. “How’s he doing now?”

“The bleeding’s stopped and bandaged and his fever’s going down,” said Prosper.

“Why do you care so much?” asked Mosca.

“He was our friend,” said Hornet.

“Not anymore,” said Riccio.

“Hey!” yelled Prosper. “You’re not helping!”

“We’ll be seeing you,” said Mosca. He and Riccio left. Sighing, Hornet looked at Prosper.

“I’ll look at him later,” said Hornet. “Let’s get some dinner.”

“I’ll be with Scipio,” said Prosper. Hornet nodded and Prosper left the room, climbing a rope ladder to the third story.

***

Hornet ended up eating alone. Prosper, tired from his day, had fallen asleep after checking on Scipio and Riccio and Mosca had already eaten. Hornet had walked up to check on them and had found Prosper asleep, leaning against a pillar, and Scipio in Prosper’s bed. Hornet threw a blanket over Prosper and left them in peace.

“Hornet!” Riccio screamed from downstairs.

“Are you ready to be civil?” asked Hornet.

“Yes!” yelled Mosca.

“Fine,” said Hornet.

“Hornet,” Prosper muttered in his sleep. “What’s going on?”

“Riccio and Mosca came back,” said Hornet.

“Are they going to be civil?” Prosper asked now fully awake. He came to the railing.

“Yes!” Mosca yelled again.

“Fine! Then get back in here!” Prosper snapped.

“Prop?” asked Hornet.

“I’m not scared. There’s so much going on right now and I want to fix it, but I don’t know how...” Prosper trailed off.

“Let me go! I don’t want this for myself! Stop it!” Scipio screamed.

Prosper raced to Scipio’s side. Below, Riccio and Mosca looked at each other like Prosper and Hornet were seriously wacked.

“Scipio,” Prosper whispered. “Scip, it’s okay. Your father’s nowhere near you.” Prosper stroked Scipio’s head. Black hair fell off Scipio’s face.

“Thanks,” Scipio whispered, eyes still closed.

“Go back to sleep,” Prosper whispered.

“Stay,” Scipio whispered. Hornet looked at Prosper.

“You go on ahead,” said Prosper. “I’m going to stay up here with Scipio.” Hornet nodded and headed downstairs to reconcile with Riccio and Mosca.

“Do you want to go down?” asked Scipio.

“No,” Prosper whispered. “I’d rather be up here with you.” Prosper guided Scipio’s face closer to his. Their lips locked. Prosper ran his hands through Scipio’s black hair. “Everything will be fine.”

“I know it will,” Scipio whispered back, before kissing Prosper again.

***

When Hornet, Riccio, and Mosca finally went to bed around 11:35pm, Scipio and Prosper were lying side by side on Prosper’s bed. Their voices floated across the silent Stella. Riccio and Mosca had since accepted that Scipio and Prosper were together after the terrible night four months ago when Scipio and Prosper had returned from the merry-go-round and Scipio had collapsed. They’d been fighting then too. The incident had brought them all back together.

“You’re moving in with us,” said Prosper.

“I should really go home,” said Scipio.

“I don’t want you to.”

“My father will kill me.”

“All the more reason to move in with us.”

“He controls my life, Prop.”

“Don’t let him. Move out, you’re sixteen. You can go to court and get emancipated from him.”

“Are you crazy? Have you met my father?” Prosper had met Dottore Massimo once and it hadn’t been a pleasant experience. They’d both gotten yelled at: Prosper for being in the house and Scipio for not kicking Prosper out.

“Yes.”

“And...”

“I think you should move in with us.”

“I can’t.”

“Stop letting him control your life.”

“I’m not.”

“You’re letting him injury you. This shouldn’t be happening. You shouldn’t even be dealing with this.”

“Well, I should be getting going.” Scipio tried to stand, but he collapsed back onto Prosper.

“I’m here,” Prosper murmured, running his fingers through Scipio’s black hair. “It’ll be okay, I just don’t want you there anymore. I love you too much. I can’t stand this.”

“I’m here for you too, Prop,” Scipio murmured before drifting off to sleep. Prosper leaned back against a pillar and shut his own eyes. Sleep and dreams drifted over the Stella.

***

_Scipio was standing before Dottore Massimo. Dottore Massimo was angry. Scipio had been late returning from a night hanging out in his father’s old theatre, which had been closed when the tenants couldn’t pay the rent that Dottore Massimo had set._

_“Why were you late?” asked Dottore Massimo._

_“No reason,” Scipio replied._

_“I don’t believe you!” Dottore Massimo snapped. “_

_You should!” Scipio snapped back. “I set a curfew for a reason!”_

_“That’s no excuse! Teenagers don’t have to listen to curfews! We’re supposed to be rebellious!” “_

_I never was!”_

_“I don’t want to be like you, Father! I want to have a life! Not your sad excuse for one! I’m going out with the hoi polloi tonight and there’s nothing you can do to stop me!”_

_“How many times do I have to tell you that I don’t want you mixing with the hoi polloi and fraternizing with the enemy!”_

_“They’re not the enemy, they’re my friends!”_

_“You are no son of mine.”_

_“Good!” Scipio yelled. “I don’t want to be!”_

_“You will obey!” snapped Dottore Massimo and slapped Scipio._

_“What was that for?”_

_“For fraternizing with the enemy.”_

_“Slap me again,” Scipio challenged. “Nothing you can say or do is going to make the slightest bit of difference.”_

_“Okay then,” Dottore Massimo slapped Scipio again. Scipio fell to the ground. “Get up!” Scipio stood. “Never do that again.”_

_Then Dottore Massimo grabbed Scipio’s arm and started slapping him over and over again. Scipio fell. Dottore Massimo pulled him back up. Then he threw Scipio across the room and left him there._

***

Prosper woke. He glanced over at Scipio. Scipio was asleep, but from the look on his face, Prosper knew he was having a bad dream. Prosper stroked Scipio’s face. Scipio relaxed. Prosper lay back down and starred at the ceiling.

“Prop?” Mosca’s voice came through the dark surrounding him. “Can we talk?”

“What do you want, Mosca?” asked Prosper. At this point he was more than slightly annoyed and having Mosca there wasn’t helping.

“I want to talk,” said Mosca.

“Let’s go downstairs,” said Prosper. He shifted Scipio to the bed and led the way downstairs. Prosper sat on the edge of the stage, Mosca sat beside him. “What do you want?”

“I’m sorry,” said Mosca. “Sorry for everything that happened last night.”

“It’s fine.”

“We should forgive Scipio.”

“Yeah, you should.”

“How is he?”

“I don’t know. He wakes himself screaming. I think it’s just bad dreams about his father abusing him, but I don’t know and I don’t know how to help.”

“He’ll be okay, right?”

“Yeah, I think so, but I really don’t know.”

“Hey, Prop, listen to me, Scipio will pull through.”

“I know I should have more confidence in him.”

“Is that why you’re only showing this to me now?”

“Yes!”

“Prop!” a voice called. Prosper and Mosca looking up. Standing on the balcony was Scipio. His black hair was messy, his face pale, but other than that, he looked perfectly fine.

“Come down!” Prosper called. Scipio vaulted over the railing and shimmied down the rope. Prosper walked over and gave Scipio a hug. “How are you doing?”

“Better,” said Scipio.

“I’m sorry,” said Mosca. “I’m sorry for everything me and Riccio did to you. It was wrong to shun you. You don’t care for the life your father wants you to live...”

“Hey,” said Scipio, gripping Mosca’s arms. “I forgive you. Don’t feel bad for me, I’m never going back.”

“What about everything that you like about that life?” asked Mosca.

“I hated every minute in that house,” said Scipio. “When I wasn’t here or getting beaten, I locked myself in my room.”

“No one should be forced to do that,” said Mosca. “Your dad’s crazy!”

“You’re telling me,” said Scipio. “I lived with him for sixteen years.”

“What was going on earlier?” asked Prosper.

“I just had a bad dream,” said Scipio.

“Told you,” said Mosca.

“You sure you’re okay?” asked Prosper.

“Yeah, there’s just a lot to digest right now. I’m not going to return to his house, but I didn’t know what was going to happen,” said Scipio.

“You’re going to stay here,” said Riccio, coming over with Hornet.

“Are you going to forgive him?” asked Hornet, crossing her arms.

“Yes,” said Scipio.

“Sorry,” said Riccio.

“It’s cool,” said Scipio.

“You sure?” asked Mosca.

“Yeah,” said Scipio. “It’s fine. I understand. I’d be angry with me too put in that position.”

“So we’re cool again?” asked Mosca.

“Yeah, we’re cool,” said Scipio.

“How are you feeling?” asked Riccio.

“Better,” replied Scipio. “Still sore, but bet... auggghhh.”

“Scip!” Mosca ran to Scipio’s side. Mosca held Scipio. Prosper came over and rubbed Scipio’s shoulder. Together, Prosper and Mosca eased Scipio back onto the stage.

“You’re not better,” said Prosper. “You lied.”

“I’m sorry.” Prosper threw a blanket over Scipio and, with Mosca’s help, carried Scipio over to a couch.

***

_“Scipio! In here! Now!” Dottore Massimo screamed. Scipio walked in, knowing before he even entered that his father was going to tell him off for what he was wearing. He had been about to change when Dottore Massimo had called him and Scipio had chosen to be on time and get told off for his clothing choices, then be dressed perfectly and be late._

_“What?” asked Scipio._

_“First, what the hell are you wearing? Second, this!” Dottore Massimo slapped Scipio around the face, then punched him. Scipio, holding his cheek, ran from the room._

***

Scipio screamed. Prosper was at his side in an instant, Riccio, Mosca and Hornet close behind him. As Prosper soothed Scipio back to sleep, Scipio relaxed back. He was normal. He wasn’t wild-eyed. His face was still pale, his black hair in disarray.

***

It was several weeks before Scipio could be awake for an entire day, before his cycle of collapsing, sleeping, screaming, waking, etc. subsided completely. By the time it started to stop, Hornet and Mosca had long since taken over caring for Scipio as Prosper had gotten sick from doing it 24/7 for several weeks.

Prosper had staggered downstairs one morning. Hornet, Riccio and Mosca had just finished eating breakfast and Mosca had been about to take breakfast to Scipio. Mosca had dropped the food, Riccio had grabbed it before it fell and Mosca had grabbed Prosper. Prosper’s eyes were half shut and he had deep circles under his eyes. His brown hair was messy. Mosca gripped Prosper’s arm.

“You look terrible,” said Mosca.

“Thanks,” Prosper replied.

“You should go back to bed,” said Mosca.

“But Scip...” Prosper started.

“Prop, sleep. You need it,” said Scipio from the balcony. He was standing where Hornet had stood when he first met her. Hornet went up to Prosper, and laid a hand on Prosper’s forehead.

“You’re burning up,” said Hornet. “Riccio, Mosca, get him to bed.”

“What about Scipio?” asked Prosper.

“I’ll be fine,” said Scipio. “Just get better.”

“Scip...” Prosper whispered.

“I’ll be there when you wake up,” said Scipio, firmly. “Just rest.”

Riccio and Mosca grasped Prosper and helped him up the stairs.

“Scipio!” Hornet called.

“Yeah?” asked Scipio.

“Can you come down here? I have to talk to you.”

“Yeah, sure,” Scipio joined Hornet in the main room. “What is it?”

“You should be grateful.”

“I am.”

“He worked himself sick for you!” Hornet snapped.

“I know that!” Scipio snapped in return.

“How is it?” asked Hornet, gesturing with her head at the bandages still wrapped around his torso.

“Sore, but not that bad.”

“Then you should help with Prop.”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“I don’t know.” Hornet sank onto the edge of a bench.

“But I do.” Scipio sat down next to Hornet and slung his arm around Hornet’s shoulder. “You’re worried about me, and now you’re worried about Prop.”

“Wow you’re good at this.”

“I’ve had loads of practice with the asshole aka my father.”

“He’s your dad!”

“I don’t care, he never was a good one.”

“You should go up and sit with Prop.”

“Yeah, sure. It’s my fault he’s in this position,” said Scipio and rose. “We’ll be fine, Hornet. Thanks for your concern.”

Scipio left and went up to Prosper.

A moment later, Scipio was sitting with Prosper and Riccio and Mosca had dragged Hornet out for a walk. Scipio looked at Prosper. He now knew how Prosper had felt those first few days when he’d been asleep. Prosper shifted under the covers. Scipio kissed Prosper softly. Prosper’s eyes fluttered open.

“Hey,” Prosper whispered.

“How are you feeling?” asked Scipio.

“Super tired,” said Prosper.

“Go back to sleep then,” said Scipio. “I’ll be here when you wake up again.”

“Sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure,” said Scipio. “You’re my best friend and lover.”

Prosper drowsed back into sleep mode and Scipio returned to his book.

***

By the time Riccio, Hornet and Mosca had returned from their walk, Prosper was fully awake. Scipio had fallen asleep next to Prosper. Riccio and Hornet had dinner while Mosca had gone upstairs to check on them.

“Prop,” said Mosca.

“Hey,” Prosper replied.

“Shut up,” Scipio muttered in his sleep.

“Hey!” Mosca exclaimed. Scipio was awake and had Mosca pined to a pillar in a flash.

“Never do that again,” Scipio hissed. Prosper and Mosca started laughing. Scipio glared at the two of them.

“It’s funny,” said Mosca. Scipio kept glaring, then he started to laugh too.

“See,” said Prosper.

Scipio, Prosper and Mosca were up most of the night talking. They wouldn’t let Hornet or Riccio in the projector booth and played a rather unflattering slideshow of images of Riccio and Hornet. It wasn’t until 4:35am the next morning, when Scipio and Prosper came outside, did they let Hornet and Riccio out of the hallway.

“Can we come in now?” asked Riccio.

“Yes,” said Prosper.

“What were you doing in there all night?” asked Hornet.

“Trust me,” said Scipio. “You don’t want to know.”

“We’ll trust you,” said Hornet.

“I won’t,” said Riccio.

“Shut up, come on and leave them alone!” Hornet snapped at Riccio. Hornet grabbed Riccio’s shoulder and steered him into the main room.

***

Prosper and Scipio sat on the edge of the bridge high above the canal just outside the Stella.

“I can’t wait any longer,” said Prosper.

“Nor can I,” replied Scipio. For the first time, Scipio took control. He cupped Prosper’s face in his hands. “I love you, Prop,” he whispered. “That will never change.”

“What about your father?” asked Prosper.

“Fuck him,” Scipio replied. “He’s an asshole.”

Satisfied with Scipio’s answer, Prosper allowed Scipio to kiss him.


	2. Chapter Two

Scipio had been living with them for several weeks, when he decided he was going to go on an actual raid of his own house.

“What are you going to do if you run into your dad?” asked Mosca.

“Bitch at him, try to make him understand me – which will never happen – kill him,” Scipio replied, lying back on the stage.

“You really think that’ll work?” asked Riccio.

“Of course it will,” said Prosper, going over to Scipio. “I’ll go with you.”

“Thanks,” said Scipio, sitting up.

“Sure it will work?” asked Riccio.

“Yes!” Prosper snapped. He struck Riccio. Riccio fell. Prosper froze, hand raised. Hornet went to Riccio’s side, kneeling. Prosper looked blankly at the wall. Scipio jumped off the edge of the stage. He laid a hand on Prosper’s shoulder.

“Hey, Prop,” said Scipio. “It’s gonna be okay.”

“Scip,” Prosper whispered. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” said Scipio. “Just relax.”

“Riccio?” asked Hornet. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” said Riccio. “I’ll be fine.”

Prosper turned to Riccio. “Riccio, I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine,” said Riccio. “You didn’t mean it.”

“I just got angry and something broke. I don’t know what it was.”

“It’s fine,” Riccio laid a hand on Prosper’s shoulder. “I understand. I was mad when we found our Scipio and when we met.” Riccio didn’t need to say anymore. They all remembered both, even Prosper who had been in an orphanage when Riccio had tried to steal money off of Scipio when had then made Riccio take him to Hornet and Mosca in Castillo.

“You sure?” asked Prosper.

“Yeah,” said Riccio. “I understand. We’ve all gotten mad before. It’s always been over something stupid like what just happened.”

“I’m going to go it. I just want to prove to them that I can do something about how bitchy they were to me,” said Scipio.

“They?” asked Mosca.

“My mother,” Scipio replied. “They’re not divorced, but they might as well be. Father lives here in Venice and Mother in Padua. I hate being home they’re both there. They fight all the time. That’s why I want to do it soon, because they’ll be so busy, fighting, they’ll never notice me going in and out.”

“Do you know how long your mother’s staying?” asked Riccio.

“I don’t know,” said Scipio. “Father was supposed to tell me the night I escaped.”

“Should we try to find out?” asked Mosca.

“We could,” said Prosper. “But we’re going to do it in a week, so I don’t see the point.”

“Besides,” Scipio added. “I think she’s here on business and if so, her business trips are always long.”

“How would we find that out?” asked Mosca.

“I’ll follow her tomorrow,” said Riccio.

“Sounds like a plan,” said Scipio.

“I’ll stay here with you guys,” said Hornet. “We can get the stuff together.”

***

Early the next morning, Riccio and Mosca left the Stella and Prosper and Scipio set up an elaborate trap to take Hornet down when she woke, culminating in three buckets of ice water to be poured over her head. As Prosper set the final bucket, Scipio went out to a bakery and bought bread and some of the Italian pastry that both he and Prosper loved.

On the way back to the Stella, Scipio stopped at the home of one of his oldest friends, Carlo Greco. He went around to the back and climbed up and over the wall. Once inside, Scipio found Carlo’s window and flung stones at it. After a few seconds, a boy opened the window.

“Scip?” asked the boy.

“Davide?” asked Scipio.

“What are you doing here?” asked Davide.

“Get Carlo, drop the rope, and I’ll explain everything.”

“Okay.” A second later Davide disappeared, then reappeared and a rope ladder dropped down. Scipio grabbed it and climbed up. Swinging into the room, Scipio dragged the rope ladder into the room after him and piled it into a mountain before Carlo entered and flung himself at Scipio. Scipio grasped Carlo in a hug.

“I heard about what your father did you. I was freaking out,” said Carlo.

“I was in the Stella,” Scipio replied.

“How are they?” Davide asked. Carlo and Davide were the only ones from his old life that he trusted.

“They’re good,” Scipio replied. “How are things in this world?”

“We had dinner with your parents,” said Carlo.

“It sucked,” Davide added.

“What happened?” asked Scipio, sighing.

“Your father’s crazy, Scip,” said Carlo.

“I know that,” said Scipio.

“He went crazy,” said Davide.

That was when Scipio noticed the faint lines of bandaging on Davide’s upper arm. Scipio touched the spot gently. “What happened?” asked Scipio.

“He was holding a knife when he went crazy,” said Davide.

“Show me and I’ll tell you what he did to me and you’ll see that what happened to you was nothing.”

Davide stripped off the dark grey t-shirt was he was wearing. White bandaging circled his upper arm. He unwrapped it, letting it fall to the floor of Carlo’s room. Scipio ran gentle fingers down the thin red scabbed line. "I just can’t believe that my father did this. Actually, scratch that, I can. He beat me. I was badly bruised and I had several cracked ribs.”

“Wow,” said Davide. “That is worse.”

“Wrap it back up,” said Scipio. “Actually, here. Sit down.” Davide sat on Carlo’s bed. Scipio grabbed the bandaging from Carlo’s floor and proceeded to wrap it around the scratch.

***

Scipio ended up inviting Carlo and Davide to the Stella for breakfast. They stopped at the market on the way to Stella and bought more food for breakfast. When they finally arrived, Hornet pretended she was mad at the three of them, but they all knew that Hornet didn’t really hate any of them. Least of all Scipio.

“I’ve brought friends!” Scipio called.

“I hope you bought more food as well,” said Riccio, as he, Mosca and Prosper joined the party.

“Of course I did,” said Scipio.

“Well, I’m not cooking it,” said Hornet.

“No cooking required,” said Scipio. “Just plates.”

“I’ll do it,” said Davide. He stood and went into the kitchen. “Prosper! Where are they?”

Laughing, Prosper followed Davide into the kitchen. As he started pulling plates out of the cupboard, he observed Davide. If you didn’t know he was the only son of a high-ranking family, then one wouldn’t realize it.

“You actually wanted to talk to me,” said Prosper.

“What?” asked Davide, confused.

“You didn’t just volunteer for plates, did you?”

“No,” said Davide. “I wanted to talk to you.” Davide raked his fingers through his dark hair.

“About what?”

“What’s going on with Scipio?” asked Davide. “He usually comes to Carlo or me if his dad’s causing problems.”

“Ask Scipio,” said Prosper, and walked out of the kitchen with the stack of plates. Davide sighed and followed Prosper from the kitchen.

***

Later that day, Scipio, Davide and Carlo were outside the Stella.

“Scipio,” said Carlo. “It seems like you and Prosper are more than just friends.”

“We are,” replied Scipio.

“What’s going between you?” asked Davide.

“We’re in love, Prosper and I,” Scipio replied. Davide and Carlo looked blankly at Scipio from several minutes.

“What did you say?” Carlo asked.

“You’ve known I was gay since I was fifteen,” said Scipio.

“Shut up!”

“Scipio...” Davide trailed off, not knowing what to say to his friend.

“Shut up!” Scipio yelled.

***

Prosper heard Scipio yelling from inside. He threw down the dish cloth and ran from the chores Hornet had set him to occupy his time. Prosper raced to the back door, which they used as a main entrance. He crashed through it.

“What the hell!” Prosper screamed, before tripping over something in his way. The figure was white from blood loss, black hair streaked across his bloody face. There was a long scratch down his arm. “Scipio!”

“I’m so sorry, Prop,” said a voice from behind. Prosper turned. The speaker was Carlo. Davide was restraining him, an old wound on Davide’s arm had opened up again and was bleeding.

“You did this?” Prosper asked.

“Yes,” Carlo whispered.

“Get out,” Prosper hissed.

Years later, Davide would still believe Prosper was channeling Scipio at that moment, but Prosper and Scipio would always deny it. With those words spoken, Carlo ran.

***

“Scipio...” Prosper whispered. Scipio shifted on the bed. Prosper graced Scipio with his fingers running through his hair.

“What happened?” muttered Scipio.

“I found you outside. You must’ve gotten in a fight about us,” replied Prosper.

“Yeah, well, his parents are extreme homophobes.”

“Sounds like Carlo’s agreeing with his parents on this one, Scip.”

“I don’t know how I feel about that.”

“I don’t think you should worry about it. And you should know that Davide moved in too.”

“Don’t let Carlo back in here.”

“After what he did, I’m not going to let him.” It wasn’t Prosper.

Leaning against a pillar, was Davide. His arm had been re-bandaged, a faint reddish tint the only mark of it reopening. As Davide spoke, he knelt beside Prosper and Scipio. “He punched you.” Davide added after a second of silence. Scipio looked at Prosper and Davide. Prosper look fine, but Davide... the injury he had sustained at the hands of Scipio’s father had reopened and it was slowly bleeding through the bandages.

“What happened, Davide?” asked Scipio.

“It just reopened, I’ll be fine,” Davide replied.

“It’s my fault,” said Prosper. “I should’ve been there.”

“I _was_ there,” said Davide. “I should’ve done something.”

“I knew he was going to act like that,” said Scipio.

“Nothing could’ve prepared me for what happened to you,” said Prosper.

“I don’t even know why we’re friends anymore,” said Scipio.

“Maybe this should be the end,” suggested Davide.

“I think you’re right on this one,” said Scipio.

***

Carlo Greco was pissed. And that was an understatement. He stormed through the entryway and went to his room, slamming the door.

“Carlo! No door slamming!” called a voice.

“Shut up, Michele!” Carlo yelled back.

Michele hated the name ‘Michele’, mostly because ‘Michele’ was the name of the island of the dead. He was nineteen and had spent the last three years in America with their uncle. He’d been known as ‘Mike’ there and now he was trying to get everyone in Venice to call him by the Americanized nickname.

“Carlo,” asked Michele. “Is something wrong?”

“Yes,” said Carlo.

“Let me in, Carlo,” said Michele. “We can talk about it.”Carlo opened the door. “What’s wrong?”

“Scipio’s gay and I went off on him,” said Carlo quickly.

“Alright,” said Michele. “Calm down. Start at the beginning.”

“A year ago me and Scipio went over to Davide’s. That was the day he told us he was gay. He’s never told his father.”

“Good choice,” Michele commented. “Dottore Massimo would go ballistic on Scipio if he ever found out.”

“Michele, you can’t tell anyone. I mean that.”

“Of course,” said Michele. “I respect Scipio. You know Carlo, Scipio’s life hasn’t been easy. His parents aren’t officially divorced, but they’re close enough, his brother’s dead, many people don’t even know the eldest Massimo son existed. We were best friends.” Michele trailed off. “Anyway, Scipio has had more than his fair share of bad things happen to him. Let Scipio tell you he had a brother. Silvio was smart, outgoing, even at seventeen, he was one of the best gondoliers of Venice. Scipio learned everything he knows about boats from Silvio. Then everything changed.”

“Then today,” Carlo said. “I just went ballistic on him and now I regret everything I said.”

“He’ll forgive you.”

“I don’t know if he will, Mike. He was pretty angry with me today. I don’t know if our friendship can be repaired.”


	3. Chapter Three

Scipio was lying on his back on the roof of the Stella, looking out over the city, when Prosper joined him. Scipio was distracted by thoughts of Silvio. Prosper sat beside his friend. Scipio looked lost in his thoughts, he stared out over the city, his gaze blank, no emotion fled across it. The sun was sinking on the horizon. The colors reflected in the canal below. The gondola he’d stolen from his father was docked on the ancient loading dock that could barely hold their ‘little band of criminals’ as Esther had so fondly called them. The two friends stayed silent for a time, just watching the setting sun and the boats going up and down the canal. The canals near the theatre were particularly dirty, but no one particularly minded the dirtiness factor.

“What’s going on Scip?” asked Prosper, finally breaking the silence.

“I was thinking,” Scipio replied.

“About what?”

“My brother.”

“Your brother?”

“Yes, I had a brother,” said Scipio. “He was older than me by three years. Then the accident happened,” Scipio turned away.

“Don’t be ashamed, Scipio,” said Prosper. “I understand.”

“I wish you could’ve met him, but he died, the day after you and Bo came.”

“Is that why you disappeared for so long?”

“I contemplated suicide. I still don’t know how I stopped it.”

“Because,” said Prosper, forcing Scipio to look into his eyes. “You have great friends.”

***

Michele Greco’s first thought on waking was to torture Carlo, his second, find Scipio. Skipping right over the first thought, Michele threw on a shirt and escaped through the window. He dropped down from his second-story bedroom on a rope and into the gondola below. He sculled the gondola up the canal, then through the maze of canals that led to the back entrance of the Stella. As he sculled up and docked, Michele looked at the entrance, at last Scipio appeared. He didn’t look well, even at a distance. His skin was paler than usual and his black hair was unusually messy. Beside him was another boy, not looking much better. The two slid onto the dock, talking. Michele leapt lightly to the dock.

“Scipio,” said Michele.

“Mike?” questioned Scipio.

“Yeah,” said Michele. “It’s me.”

“I want you to meet someone,” said Scipio. “This is my boyfriend, Prosper.”

“Oh, yeah, I’ve heard about you from Carlo,” said Michele.

“Carlo?” Prosper asked.

“We’re brothers,” said Mike. “Don’t worry, I’m not anything like him.”

“Good,” said Prosper.

“Carlo doesn’t do that much good in the world,” said Mike. “But he’s great at persuading people to his side.”

“He’s also a homophobe,” Scipio added.

“He listens to our parents' philosophy,” said Mike. “Unlike me.”

“Why are you here anyway?” asked Prosper.

“To check on how much damage Carlo did,” Mike replied.

“If he’d been here much longer, he would’ve ruined everything,” Scipio muttered.

“I’m sorry about your brother,” said Mike.

“What happened?” asked Prosper.

“It was three years ago,” Scipio started. “And I’m still haunted by the dreams.”

***

_Silvio Massimo tapped on Scipio’s door._

_“Scip,” Silvio called._

_“What?” asked Scipio. From the way Scipio sounded, Silvio knew that his younger brother had just woken up. “_

_I’m going out in the lagoon,” said Silvio. “Want to come?”_

_“Sure,” Scipio replied._

_Scipio followed his older brother down the stairs and into the entry hall. From there, the two took the secret passage that led to where Dottore Massimo kept three gondolas and a small motorboat. Silvio and Scipio slid into the seats on the motorboat and Silvio revered up the engine, steering it out of the Casa Massimo._

_Silvio steered the boat down the maze of canals to the lagoon. They had just spun out into the open lagoon, when a boat swung directly into their path. Silvio had his face turned to Scipio._

_“Silvio!” Scipio screamed, seeing the boat. “About!” Silvio’s reflexes tried to act, but they were slowed down with fear. The Massimo motorboat collided. The glass front smashed inwards, showering Silvio and Scipio with glass. A piece of glass struck Scipio in the head. He glanced at his brother. Water was flowing into the boat and Silvio was still. Blood streamed from numerous facial wounds._

_“Silvio,” Scipio whispered._

_“Save yourself, Scip,” Silvio whispered._

_“Amo tuo fratello,” said Scipio. He brushed dark brown hairs away from Silvio’s bleeding face._

_“Ti amo anch'io,” whispered Silvio, gripping Scipio’s hand..._

***

“He died a few moments later,” said Scipio, finishing his story. “After that, I wanted to die. My brother was dead and I believed that I didn’t have anything to live for.”

“You have me,” said Prosper.

“You both need sleep,” said Mike, looking at the two friends.

“That sounds so good,” said Prosper. Prosper gripped Scipio and led him upstairs, leaving Hornet, Riccio and Mosca to deal with Mike, Carlo’s nice brother. It was clear that the Greco’s had two very different sons and whatever Carlo had done, had probably ruined him for life.

***

Early the next morning, just as the sun broke through the tops of the buildings and through golden sunlight across Venice, Scipio and Prosper crept out of the Stella, trying not to wake or trip over Davide and Mike. As they broke out of the building, the golden sunlight glanced off the canals.

“What do you think – “ Prosper started.

“ – a sunrise gondola ride?” Scipio finished. Prosper nodded. Scipio untied the gondola. Prosper sat down on one of the seats, Scipio took his place on the steering pedestal and pushed off the dock with a pole.

As Scipio sculled the gondola down the canal, people had one of two reactions when observing Scipio and Prosper. Those who were rich and recognized Scipio, glared at him, whereas the commoners like Prosper looked at Scipio in amazement. They had thought that they would never see the sight. As Scipio entered the lagoon, he directed Prosper to the maps. Scipio grabbed the one on top, trying to not let Prosper see it.

“Out with it, Scip,” said Prosper. “Tell me what’s going on.”

“Sorry,” said Scipio. “No can do.” He glanced at the map again, directing the gondola past San Michele, the island for which Carlo’s brother was named, out of the Sacca della Misericordia, where they had met Conte Renzo and his sister, Contessa Morosina, and toward the island where...

“Forget it!” Prosper snapped.

Scipio smiled. “Let’s go back! The others will be wondering where we are.”

“No, I want to go back and find out what happened to the merry-go-round and Conte Renzo and Contessa Morosina.”

“Are you sure you want to go through with this?”

“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.” The two shared a knowing look. Scipio and Conte Renzo had shared the same exchange just before the botched ride on the merry-go-round.

***

_“Are you sure you want to go through with this?” asked Conte Renzo, as Scipio settled onto the seahorse._

_“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life,” Scipio replied. The next moment, the merry-go-round started. Conte Renzo and Prosper looked at each other. At that moment, the moment when it became faster, the merry-go-round burst into flames._

_“No!” Conte Renzo screamed._

_“Scipio!” Prosper screamed at the same time. He ran to the wreckage._

_“Prop,” came a voice from behind him. Prosper turned. Scipio couldn’t have survived. He couldn’t have. Yet, here he was. His black hair was ruffled, but he was fine._

_“Scipio,” Prosper breathed. Then ran to his friend. Scipio grabbed Prosper in a hug._

_“I’m fine, Prop,” said Scipio._

***

“How did you do it?” asked Prosper.

“What?” asked Scipio.

“Escape from the burning merry-go-round,” said Prosper.

“The moment it started burning, I jumped.” Scipio docked their gondola in the same place as they had four months earlier.

As they disembarked and entered the compound, the silence was deafening. Morosina’s dogs had been forced into solitude. They climbed up and over the wall. The gardens within the compound were over-grown. Scipio picked his way through the thicket, Prosper following. The bushes on either side of the entrance to the merry-go-round, had nearly obstructed it. As they entered, a gasp raced out of their mouths at the scene before them.

The burned, charred remains that had once been the merry-go-round and the wing that had betrayed Scipio’s secret to his friends, were still in the places they had fallen as Scipio and Prosper had made their escape. Scipio sniffed the air. It was dry, stale, and had a faint scent of rotten eggs. Sulfur. Scipio studied the wreckage.

“What is it?” asked Prosper.

“Sulfur,” Scipio replied.

“It was months ago, Scip.”

“I know that,” said Scipio. “But I suspect foul play. I think someone was trying to kill me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation
> 
> Amo tuo fratello - I love you, brother
> 
> Ti amo anch'io - I love you, too


	4. Chapter Four

Scipio and Prosper could only look at each other and the ruins for a long minute. At last, Prosper knelt, studying the ground. That’s when he saw the burnt out torches and cigarette butts on the ground. He looked at Scipio. Fear for his friend made its way through his eyes. He couldn’t think of anyone who would want to kill Scipio.

“Do you have any idea as to who would want you dead?” asked Prosper.

“Yes.” Scipio’s reply came quick and easy. “There are several people who believe that my father didn’t come by money with honesty.”

“Do you know who any of them are?”

“Carlo’s parents and Davide’s parents are amongst them. Mike and Davide will be our side and...” Scipio paused.

“Carlo will be at our mercy,” said Prosper.

“He’ll have to be,” said Scipio. “Do you think he did this? Tried to kill me?”

“I don’t know,” said Prosper. “But we shouldn’t rule him out immediately.” The ruins of the merry-go-round still smelled after months. As Prosper and Scipio looked at the ruins, they noticed scraps of cloth that looked to be from Carlo’s clothing. Scipio picked up a section, stuffing it along with the some dirt in a pocket that already held a variety of odd objects.

“It’s Carlo,” said Scipio. “He sabotaged it so I would die.”

“That’s terrible.”

“He’s homophobic bastard. I don’t care about him anymore. But he’s put you in danger.”

“Scipio Massimo. Prosper Nedermann,” said a voice from the shadows.

“Show yourself,” Scipio commanded.

Carlo stepped out from behind the house where Conte Renzo and Contessa Morosina had lived.

“What are you doing here?” asked Carlo.

“We should be asking you the same of you, you homophobic bastard.” Prosper spat the last two words.

“I didn’t think you’d return. I didn’t you would be able to face me,” said Carlo.

“Well then, Carlo,” said Scipio. “You thought wrong, because I did dare to return and you know another thing, I think you sabotaged the ride.”

“You still got what you wanted in the end, Scip,” said Carlo.

“You aren’t my friend anymore, Carlo,” said Scipio. “You lost the right to call me that. You ruined it for me!”

“You got what you wanted,” said Carlo.

“Yes, after four months of his father beating him!” snapped Prosper.

“You’re still his loyal sidekick then,” said Carlo. “I pity you, Prosper. You’ll never be more than that to him. I was always above you in his mind. Did you know that? I’ve always meant more to him then your orphan friends do. I always have and I always will.”

“You know nothing!” Scipio snapped. “I never liked you, Carlo! Me and Mike were always closer than you and me! Mike has opened himself to new ideas, thoughts and experiences, but you, my former friend, will never achieve that! You’re too closed-minded! You’ll be a strict Catholic until the day you die and when that day comes, I won’t be sorry! I’ll be glad! Your death will be my salvation! Believe what you want, but it will part us forever. Once you make that decision there’ll be no turning back. Turn your back on me, Carlo, if you think it the right thing to do. I will turn my back on you forever and never want you among my friends ever again. We have reached a parting of the ways. You must act as you see fit. If you want to drag God and religion into your life, then who am I to deny you? But just know that this is your last chance. This is your time. Do what you must, because when you die, your death will be my salvation and when you are gone, I won’t miss you.” Scipio paused. Prosper looked at Scipio blankly. “I wish you had died, Carlo!” Scipio continued. “I wish you had died in the way you had meant for me! I wish you had burned to death that night, Carlo! I wish you had! I never want to see you again! From this moment forth, you, Carlo Greco, are banned from the Stella. You may never set foot in there ever again. I will never tell you another secret as long as I live! And the ones that I’ve told you, you’d better forget! You’d better forget everything I’ve told you. To me, Carlo Greco, you are as good as dead.”

“Scipio...” said Carlo.

“Get out of my sight, Carlo,” said Scipio. “Now and forever.”

“I challenge you to a duel, Scipio,” said Carlo.

“You’re being ridiculous about this, Carlo,” said Prosper.

Carlo tossed a fencing foil at Scipio. Scipio caught it. “Very well,” said Scipio. “But you will lose. I’ve been trained to kill people like you.”

“Scipio...” Prosper started.

Scipio lunged at Carlo with the rapier. He stopped him from stabbing Prosper. Scipio pushed Prosper out of the way. Scipio lashed out at Carlo, slicing Carlo’s arm open in a similar cut to Davide’s. Carlo tried to get at Scipio, but Scipio leapt away from every strike against him, more often than not injuring Carlo in the process.

Carlo taunted Scipio, Scipio gritted his teeth, trying to not say anything and concentrate on winning the fight at hand. As Scipio concentrated, Carlo tried to stab Prosper again. Prosper grabbed a stick of what had once been the merry-go-round, and wielding it like a sword, caught Carlo’s blade. Prosper flung Carlo’s blade out of his way, knocking it out of Carlo’s hand in the process.

“Nice one,” Scipio called, as he engaged Carlo in battle once more. Prosper dropped back so Scipio would have enough room. Scipio circled Carlo. Carlo watched Scipio. Then Scipio fooled Carlo by disappearing.

“Scipio,” Carlo called. Scipio darted out from his hiding place among the wreckage. Scipio slashed Carlo down the length of his arm. Carlo cried out.

“You’ll survive,” Scipio hissed.

“You’ll die,” Carlo countered.

“No,” Scipio countered back. “You’ll be the one who will be lying here dead when all this is over.”

“You don’t know anything,” said Prosper, getting in on the insulting.

“I know plenty!” Carlo snapped. “I know that what you and Scipio are doing is against God.”

“Luckily for God and you, we’re atheists,” said Prosper.

“You don’t believe in God?” asked Carlo.

“Your beliefs are wrong,” said Scipio, lunging in for an attack. Carlo wasn’t fast enough and Scipio stabbed Carlo. Carlo staggered back away from Scipio, but Scipio lunged in and stabbed again. When Scipio stepped back, Prosper darted in. He held the stick, ready to stab.

“Please, Prop,” Carlo whispered, his voice laced with pain.

“I’m not going to spare you,” Prosper hissed and stabbed Carlo. Carlo cried out.

“Kill him,” said a new voice.

“Who?” asked Carlo. It was obvious that Scipio and Prosper’s stabbings had begun to do their job.

“Us,” said a second voice, as the two figures revealed themselves among the ruins. The two figures were Mosca Lepore and Mike Greco.

“Brother, don’t let them,” Carlo whispered.

“I’m sorry, Carlo,” said Mike. “I have to let them.”

“Please,” Carlo begged. “Mike...”

“I can’t,” Mike hissed. “It goes against my conscience.”

“You’re my brother,” Carlo begged.

“Give it up, Carlo,” Mosca hissed. “You’re not going to get what you want.”

“You don’t know anything,” Carlo hissed back. Prosper and Scipio could both tell that every moment was causing Carlo pain now. He was just hanging onto life to see if Scipio was going to forgive him.

“I’m not going to forgive you, Carlo,” said Scipio. “You can let go of life now, Carlo. I’m not going to let you live. I don’t want you in my life anymore. You’re acting like the son my father always wanted. Trust me, I know what that looks like. I also know what it looks like when you drop out of favor with a Massimo from personal experience.”

“Don’t kill me, Scipio,” Carlo whispered. Then suddenly, Carlo collapsed. He fell to the ground at Scipio’s feet. Mike and Mosca stepped over Carlo, joining Scipio and Prosper.

“Is he dead?” asked Mosca. Mike prodded Carlo with his foot. A faint moan escaped Carlo’s lips. “Apparently not.”

“He deserves to be,” Scipio hissed. Quick as a flash, while Carlo’s head was turned away from the foursome who had once counted Carlo among their friends, Scipio dove in with the foil and stabbed Carlo a final time. A second faint moan, a shudder, and Carlo lay still on the leaf-strewn ground.

***

The air spun around them as Scipio, Prosper, Mosca and Mike set off from the island. Halfway across the lagoon, fog started setting in. Thick rolls of fog made it impossible for Scipio to see anything except Prosper in the seat directly in front of him.

“How are we supposed to see where the mainland is?” Prosper asked.

“I haven’t any idea,” Scipio replied. The pole dipped near silently into the waters of the lagoon.

To their left, they could hear the soft rev of the Greco motorboat, which Mike had taken without permission. The combination of a motorboat rev and the soft dipping of the pole, were the only sounds to be heard across the lagoon. Most other people had been closer to the mainland when the fog had rolled in. All four were aware of the dangers. If they kept going, there was a chance that they would go away from the mainland and further out into the lagoon.

“What’s our plan?” Mike’s voice floated through the fog.

“The last time I was in fog like this...” Scipio trailed off. Prosper turned in his seat. Through the fog, he saw Scipio standing on the platform. His gaze blankly staring ahead. Prosper knew immediately what the problem was. The last time Scipio had been in fog like this in the lagoon, he’d been with Silvio.

“Scipio.” Prosper’s soft voice brought Scipio back to the present. “You okay?”

“I...” Scipio started.

Prosper could feel Scipio’s uncertainty. “I’m here,” Prosper whispered. “You’re going to be fine. I know you will. Are you going to continue, or do you want...?”

The fog rose. The veil vanished and the mainland was in sight. Scipio glanced to his left. Mosca was sitting in the driver’s seat of the Greco motorboat. Mike was leaning back in the passenger’s seat, eyes closed, giving Mosca occasional instructions on how to steer the boat.

“All right there, Scipio?” Mosca called.

“Yeah,” Scipio called back. “You?”

“All’s good here,” said Mosca, laughing.

A smile glanced across Scipio’s face. Only Prosper, sitting near Scipio noticed it.

“Sure you’re okay?” asked Prosper, so quietly Scipio was the only one who could hear him.

“Yeah,” Scipio replied. “I’ll be fine.”

“I don’t want a repeat of four months ago,” said Prosper.

“Either do we,” said Mosca.

Despite Prosper trying to quiet his voice, Mosca had obviously heard at least Prosper’s last comment if not more of what Prosper had hoped would be private conversation between Scipio and himself.


	5. Chapter Five

Mosca and Scipio steered their boats next to the rotting loading dock at the back of the Stella. Mike and Prosper disembarked and tied their respective boats to two of the partially rotten pilings. Once the boats were firmly anchored, Mosca and Scipio joined Mike and Prosper on the loading dock. They had left the body of Carlo Greco on the Isola Segreta among the ruins of the merry-go-round and thus far, no one, not even Mike, Carlo’s older brother, were regretting the act. They all thought that Carlo had it coming to him the moment he rejected Scipio and Prosper.

“Don’t regret it,” said Prosper, reading Scipio’s mind. “He deserved it. I forbid you from thinking differently.”

“I just...” Scipio trailed off.

“My brother would’ve made your life a living hell,” said Mike. “My parents corrupted him.”

“I hate him so much,” said Scipio. “He did so many things wrong. It seemed like everything was going to be all right and then he just turned on me.”

“He was never okay with you and Prop, Scip. He came home and Skyped me. He complained about you being gay the entire time. He got what he deserved.”

***

As Scipio, Prosper, Mike and Mosca entered the Stella’s main room, Hornet, Riccio and Davide flooded around them. They badgered the foursome with questions until Davide noted that Riccio and Mosca had fallen asleep on the stage and Prosper and Scipio looked as though they might join them at any moment. After bidding Hornet, Mike and Davide good night, Prosper and Scipio went upstairs, leaving Riccio and Mosca in the hands of the three who were still awake. The moment Prosper lay down, he was asleep, but Scipio was plagued with nightmares of Carlo, which kept him awake for several more hours.

***

Early the next morning, Prosper woke and immediately noticed a drosy-eyed Scipio reading on the bed next to him.

“Did you sleep at all last night?” asked Prosper.

“No, I was being plagued by nightmares,” said Scipio. “Again.”

“You purposely deprive yourself of sleep, Scipio.”

“I have since Silvio died.”

“That’s not healthy.”

“Maybe I don’t want to be plagued 24/7 by my dead brother!”

“I understand,” said Prosper. “But I’m not going to let continue doing this to yourself.”

“I know I shouldn’t be,” Scipio replied. “And I really want to sleep now, but...”

“Go on then,” said Prosper. “Sleep. If you start screaming, I’ll wake you up.”

Scipio lay down and instantly fell asleep. Prosper sighed. His best friend was plagued with so much. It wasn’t right, but other than being supportive, Prosper didn’t know how else he could help Scipio through this. At least things were a lot clearer. It explained why Scipio never stayed at the Stella even when he was late. It explained the deliveries of food, other necessities and valuables to sell to purchase necessities in between deliveries. So much of Scipio’s life had been kept a secret from them, and they didn’t understand why Scipio had kept so much a secret. But Prosper understood. He could understand exactly where Scipio was coming from. It made Riccio and Mosca think he was crazy, but he also gained the respect of Mike, Davide and Prosper. Hornet was split. On one hand she didn’t want to let Riccio and Mosca down, but she didn’t want to leave the other side. Needless to say, it put Hornet in a position that she’d rather not be in.

Prosper glanced up from his book and looked Scipio’s pale figure. He was sleeping peacefully. Something Prosper had yet to see him do since he had come to live here with them. Prosper knew that Scipio wanted to raid his own house again. He wasn’t sure how totally safe this plan was. Then again, all of Scipio’s plans had worked out. All of them accept the disaster four months ago when his supposed friend, Carlo Greco had tried to kill him with arson. Prosper shook his head to clear it and returned to his book.

Several hours later, Scipio woke. Night had started to settle in once again and Scipio, Prosper, Hornet, Riccio, Mosca, Mike and Davide started to plan their raid. They had no idea what they were after, but Scipio assured them that he would tell them in good time. Riccio and Mosca had started to resent this new secretive Scipio, but Scipio had already shown this side to the other four and they were ready to help in anyway they could.

“I think I’d better do the actual stealing,” said Scipio.

“Why?” asked Mike. “Your house?”

“No, I’m the only one with a clear knowledge of where everything is, but I’ll want Davide and Prosper with me.”

“Why?” Riccio asked.

“Why do you think?” asked Mosca.

“Do you even know?” asked Prosper. Both Riccio and Mosca shook their heads. “We’re going to be the lookouts.”

“What we going to do?” asked Hornet. “You’re going to be waiting in the entrance hall with Mike and Riccio and Mosca are going to be outside.”

“Why?” asked Mosca loudly.

“For that reason,” Scipio replied. “I don’t want this thing ruined by you two.”

“We wouldn’t ruin it,” said Riccio.

“All the same,” said Scipio. “I want people outside the building.”

“Won’t that be suspicious?” Davide asked.

“There’ll be enough shadows around the door to keep the two of you hidden,” Scipio replied.

“We’re serious about pulling this off?” asked Mike.

"Yes,” said Scipio. “I’m going to show them that I don’t need them to survive.”

“Won’t they hate all of us?” asked Hornet.

“Lucky for you, I don’t care if my parents consider me to be hanging out with those they deem unfit for their son. I’m sixteen. I’ve dealt with them long enough to know that they’re serious and I want to prove to them that I’ve moved out for good.”

“They’re not going to approve of this,” said Mike.

“See if I care,” said Scipio. “I don’t, and my parents need to know that I’m never coming back after this night. I say we do it in a week.”

“What about my brother?” asked Mike.

“Don’t tell me you still care about him,” Prosper commented.

“I don’t,” said Mike, firmly. “But he purposely put Scipio’s life in danger.”

“I’d say we took care of him pretty well,” said Scipio. “We retaliated and killed him ourselves.”

“We need to go back,” said Mosca. “We need to get rid of the body. We can just throw it in the lagoon.”

“No,” said Mike. “We’re going to leave his body on the doorstep of our house and my parents will be devastated. They deserve it too. Maybe they’ll even kill themselves out of grief.”

“You really wish that on your parents?” asked Riccio.

“They’re homophobic bastards just like Carlo was,” Mike answered. “They deserve the same end as him. I want my family dead.” Mike suddenly lashed out. Davide leapt in front of Mike. Mike stopped. Davide looked at Mike ready to Mike if he went into a craze again.

“I want to get him for that too,” said Prosper.

“Yeah, but you can keep your temper in check,” Davide commented.

“Oi,” said Mike. It was obvious he didn’t appreciate Davide’s comment. “My temper isn’t that badly out of check.”

“Uh...yes,” Davide replied.

“It is.” Mike sighed.

“Fine, Davide, I get it,” said Mike. “You wish...”

“I don’t wish anything,” Davide interrupted.

“Oh...” Mike started.

“Stop it!” Scipio snapped. “Both of you! If our plan is going to work, I need both of you to cooperate with me. Davide, I know you’re not very keen on Mike, but we need to work together on this project. We need to return to the Isola Segreta, get Carlo’s body and drop it off in front of the Greco mansion.”

***

Scipio, Prosper, Mike, Davide and Mosca returned to the Isola Segreta, leaving Hornet and Riccio to hold down the fort. They went in the motorboat Mike had taken from his father. Scipio and Prosper had taken the front seats leaving Mosca to sleep and Mike and Davide to observe the lagoon from an unknown perspective. As Scipio steered the boat through the maze of canals separating the Stella from the lagoon. Questions about what would’ve happened had Silvio survived or if he’d gone home after healing from his injuries – which he would’ve done had Prosper not been so forceful. Scipio’s thoughts wandered away from the task at hand. Prosper sitting in the seat beside him was the first to notice.

“Mike! Mosca! Davide!” Prosper raised the alarm. Mike and Davide turned away from the lagoon and toward Prosper. Mosca was jolted out of his sleep.

“I’m fine,” said Scipio, as he directed the motorboat back on track to the Isola Segreta. “You don’t need to raise the alarm so hastily, Prop. Save it for when it’s really needed.”

Scipio steered the boat into the dock on Isola Segreta. Prosper leapt ashore to tie the boat up to one of the pilings. Once the boat was firmly secured, Davide, Scipio, Mosca and Mike jumped ashore onto the dock and Scipio took the lead as they returned to the spot where the disasterous merry-go-round ride happened and Carlo had been killed. Davide was the sole member of their party who had never been to the island. Everyone else had been.

As they entered the grounds, it looked the same to Scipio and Prosper as it had in the days when Conte Renzo and Contessa Morosina had made their home here. The concrete wall was still in place and Scipio and Prosper led the way over it. Inside the compound, the maze of trees where they’d gotten caught by Morosina’s dogs was even more overgrown than it had been, but Scipio charged straight on through, his friends following him. As they entered the area where the merry-go-round had been, Davide was the first to see Carlo’s body. It was immediately obvious that no one had been there since Prosper, Mike, Scipio and Mosca had teamed up and killed Carlo. Carlo’s body was covered in dried blood. Mike unceremoniously scooped up Carlo’s body. Davide, Mosca, Scipio and Prosper looked at Mike. He wasn’t disappointed in his brother’s death. When they returned to the boat, Mike dumped his brother’s body into a seat.

“Let’s get out of here,” said Mosca. “I don’t ever want to come here again.”

“How are you doing to explain Carlo’s death?” asked Davide.

“Suicide,” answered Mike without a thought to the matter.

“You really think that’ll work?” Mosca asked.

“Trust me,” said Scipio. “Signor and Signora Greco will lap it up. They’ll believe every word Mike feeds them and it’s not because he’s their son. If any of us did it they’d still agree to it.”

“Are you still sure you don’t want to do the deed?” Mike asked.

“You should do it. It’ll be more profound if they find out that you killed you own brother,” said Scipio.

“You helped,” said Mike.

“You need to do the deed,” said Scipio, firmly.

***

The gondola pulled up to the landing dock at the Greco mansion. Scipio steadied the gondola while Prosper and Davide leapt ashore, tying it firmly to the pilings. Mike and Prosper carried Carlo’s body to the step, and unceremoniously dumped the youngest Greco family member onto the step before returning to the boat.

As Scipio steered the gondola out into the middle of the canal again, a serving girl opened the door and tossed the contents of a pot into the canal. As she did so, she stumbled over Carlo’s body and screamed. Her screams echoed on ahead to the gondola. Mike turned. A serving girl had just discovered his brother and had nearly fallen in the canal with shock and surprise.

Gales of laughter erupted from the party in the gondola. People passing them in their own gondolas and motorboats looked at them strangely. They were dressed like the city’s orphans. The only thing that didn’t fit with the whole picture was the gondola that was being sculled down the canal by a boy of about sixteen, wearing a plague doctor mask.

Scipio easily ignored all the looks that were coming his way. He hid behind the identity of the Thief Lord. Nothing giving away the fact that he was the son of Dottore Massimo. His friends watched him unsurprised. They had seen Scipio act like this in public far too many times. A few noticed Mike and Davide, but for the most part, the group was left alone by the general Venetian public, which suited them just fine.

***

As Scipio navigated the gondola into the back alleys of water towards the Stella, his mind wandered. He knew the back alleys here as well as the ones around his former home so he wasn’t worried about getting back. He also didn’t have to contend with any of his father’s stupid rules. Now that he had truly experienced life on the other side, Scipio knew that he could never return to the Massimo mansion for good.

As the gondola slid smoothly in next to Mosca’s rotting boat and the motorboat Scipio had stolen from his father as well. Hornet and Riccio appeared on the much rotten landing stage. Just as with the rest of the Stella, the landing stage had fallen into disrepair when the tenants had been ordered to leave when they couldn’t pay the rent.

Prosper and Mike slid into their roles of tying up the boat. Hornet and Riccio stood on the landing stage, watching. As Prosper and Mike tied the gondola to a piling and Scipio and Davide swung themselves out of the gondola with the ease of growing up around the boats. Prosper finished knotting the final knot of the rope around the piling, and joined his friends.

Scipio, Hornet, Riccio, Davide, Mike and Mosca had turned the Stella into full party mode by the time Prosper had arrived.

“Come on, Prop!” Davide called. Davide and Mike had started to follow Scipio’s lead and had started putting aside the finery they had been molded into wearing. For both of them, they’d been glad to cast the clothes aside and hadn’t minded when a strong wind had blown the clothes into the nearby canal.

“Yeah, get over here,” Mosca added.

***

As far as Scipio could tell, the only one who was not having fun was Hornet. As the only girl in the group, she was used to being left behind. But since Mike and Davide had joined the group it had been happening more and more frequently. Hornet had no idea about what to do about it except talk to Prosper and Scipio and since Scipio had grown up around the two newest members of their gang and Prosper was fast becoming friends with them, Hornet very much doubted that they would do anything about it. At last at midnight, Hornet went up to bed. But she was kept awake for several hours by the party going on downstairs. Several times she’d been at the point of telling the boys to shut up, but realized this wouldn’t go over well with Davide and Mike.

Hornet had started hating Davide and Mike. They were – in Hornet’s opinion – taking her friends away from her and she didn’t want to stand for any of it. But the problem was that she had no idea how to solve the problem except trying to make Prosper and Scipio see what Davide and Mike were doing to the once close knit family. There were times when Hornet would blame Davide and Mike and there were times when she would blame Scipio since it had been his lies that had separated them the first time. It had taken a botched merry-go-round trip to make Hornet, Riccio and Mosca forgive Scipio and Prosper for going against them.

Prosper joined Scipio, Riccio, Mosca, Mike and Davide who were sitting in the chairs that were still in place from the days when it had still been a working cinema.

“How did you get this place from your father?” Mike asked.

“It’s amazing,” Davide added.

“Thanks,” said Scipio.

“It took work,” said Mosca.

“The results were worth it,” said Davide.

“Definitely,” Mike responded.

“You could stay here, you know,” said Prosper, speaking for the first time and leaning back in his chair.

“Would that be cool?” asked Mike.

“Are you seriously asking me that?” Scipio asked. “We’re all friends here. Of course you can stay here. Don’t be crazy.”

“I suppose we should get stuff...” Davide started.

“No need,” said Mosca, interrupting. “We have enough stuff here. We’re been here for three or four years. You have no need to return home unless you really want to.”

“Well there’s certainly no need to do it tonight,” said Mike.

“I just want some sleep.”

“Sleep,” Davide murmured. “That sounds good right now.”

“Yeah,” Prosper murmured, his eyes closing and drifted off.

Sleep had soon settled over the Stella. Hornet lay asleep in her room upstairs and Scipio, Prosper, Davide, Mosca, Mike and Riccio had gathered as many blankets as they could find and had curled up in a mass on the scarlet-carpeted floor of the main room.


	6. Chapter Six

_An argument had broken out once again at 223 Fondamenta Bollani. Passersby glanced at the grand house drawn by the voices. The gondoliers ignored it, far too used to it to care. One certain gondolier knew what was going on and to whom the voices belonged. They belonged to Dottore Franco Massimo and his sixteen-year-old son, Scipio. Scipio was not at all what Dottore Massimo thought his son should be. As he heard it, he sighed. His passengers were too busy discussing what they were going to do for their trip, to pay attention to him._

_“You’ll be going to the military base, Scipio. I don’t want you doing this anymore,” said Dottore Massimo._

_“Do you really think I’ll listen?” asked Scipio, defiance in his voice._

_“You will obey me, Scipio. I am your father.”_

_“I wish we weren’t related,” Scipio muttered._

_“What was that?”_

_“It was nothing, Father,” said Scipio._

_“Good,” Dottore Massimo responded. “That will be all.”_

_“No!” Scipio snapped. “I won’t obey you. I’m not going into the military.”_

_Dottore Massimo struck Scipio. Scipio pretended it hadn’t even hurt and faced his father, defiance streaming out in waves. Dottore Massimo raised his hand to strike his son again. Someone grabbed it._

_“Don’t you dare,” Prosper whispered in a soft voice. “You will never abuse your son again. I won’t let you.”_

***

“No, Prop, stop,” Scipio muttered in his sleep.

***

_“I won’t let him kill you,” Scipio murmured to his friend._

_“You’re the one in danger,” Prosper murmured back._

_“Shut the hell up!” snapped Dottore Massimo. He rounded on Prosper. “Who the hell is this?”_

_“Prosper, my boyfriend,” came Scipio’s defiant reply._

_“My own son is a faggot?” asked Dottore Massimo._

_“Your son is not a fag,” said Prosper._

_“It’s your fault,” said Dottore Massimo. “You turned him into one.”_

_“I didn’t turn him into anything,” said Prosper. “This is what your son always was. You were just too blind and scared to admit it, and you know another thing, Dottore Massimo? The son you call a ‘fag’ is so much better than anything you will ever be.”_

_“You bastard!” Dottore Massimo snapped._

_“You are the bastard, Father,” said Scipio._

_“When did you turn on me?” asked Dottore Massimo._

_“I’ve been turned against you for a long time now, Father,” said Scipio. “You were just too blind to see it! I turned against you the day Silvio died.”_

_“I forbade that word long ago,” murmured Dottore Massimo._

_“You never let go,” said Scipio. “You keep thinking I’m Silvio, the one who wanted to be in the military. The one who wanted to follow in your footsteps! I’m my own person! I’m not going to ever return to this place!”_

***

Scipio woke up from his latest dream. The other dreams he’d had since coming here had been the reliving of his worst nightmares, but this exchange had never happened in reality. Scipio sighed, running his fingers through his hair. He glanced over at Prosper. The other boy was muttering something that Scipio couldn’t quite hear.

The others slowly woke up around him and Scipio let Prosper sleep as long as he dared. Only when Davide called for them from the stairs, did Scipio throw on a shirt and approached Prosper.

“Prop,” Scipio murmured.

“Ugh,” Prosper muttered, half asleep. “Go away, Aunt Esther.”

“It’s not, ‘Aunt Esther,’” said Scipio, disgusted by getting called the name of Prosper and Bo’s evil aunt. “It’s me.”

Prosper opened his eyes. “Shit, Scipio. Announce yourself next time, will you? I don’t ever want to call you that again.”

“I never want to meet her again,” said Scipio.

“How do you think I feel?” Prosper muttered. “I’m related to her.”

“Look who I’ve got for a father.”

“Fair point,” replied Prosper. “But at least you have one.”

“I’d be better off without one look how he treats me. I’d rather be an orphan,” Scipio looked at Prosper.

“I’ll...”

“Don’t you dare say you’ll change place with me, Prop. I don’t want you anywhere near my father.”

“Scip! Prop!” Davide called up the stairs. “Where are you?”

“Coming,” Scipio yelled down.

“I’ll see you downstairs,” said Prosper.

Scipio nodded and headed downstairs, using his fingers as a comb to untangle his hair.

When Prosper finally arrived at the breakfast table, Scipio was up in a flash.

“I just remembered I’ve got to tell you something.”

***

Scipio led Prosper out onto the dock.

“What is this?” asked Prosper.

“I had a dream last night,” said Scipio.

“Scip,” said Prosper.

The last time Scipio had a dream, his dead unknown older brother had figured heavily in it and Scipio had been forced to re-witness his brother’s death and it had him unable to sleep for a week afterward.

“Don’t worry, it wasn’t a repeat of the last one, It was about me, my father. You were there too. He was trying harder to make me go into the military then he ever did in reality.”

“Why are you telling me this, Scip? What do you want me to do?”

“I just want you to tell me that it will never happen in reality.”

“It will never happen in reality, Scip. I can promise you that.”

Scipio looked out over the canals. The newly risen sun was reflected heavily in them. The boats cast their own shadows, which were barely visible. Everything was bathed in a phosphorescent light. It looked odd, but there was also a certain beauty to it all. Prosper followed Scipio’s gaze across the canal to another abandoned building. The area where the Stella was located held a number of disused cinemas, many of which were badly in need of repairs, but it gave Scipio, Prosper, Davide, Mike, Hornet, Mosca and Riccio spots to hide out where no one knew where they were.

Of the entire lagoon, which housed many runaways and orphans, Scipio and his gang knew more about the lagoon than most. People were more hesitant of their group than of all the others combined. Then again, Scipio and Prosper were masters at getting elaborate booby traps to catch unsuspecting guests who hadn’t realized they had wandered into their territory. Most of these people were tourists and had no idea that they were on private property. Scipio usually threatened them with getting thrown into a Venetian jail cell.

“Scipio!” Mosca called, running through the Stella. “There’s a boatload of tourists outside!”

“Damn them!” Scipio swore, dashing down the stairs. “What do they want with us?” Scipio asked, storming through the Stella and out onto the loading dock, ignoring Prosper following him. “Giuno che questi turisti saranno la morte di me. Questi stronzi maledetti neanche dovrebbero essare qui! Questo è la proprietà di mio padre tuttavia dal punto di vista tecnico. Ciò che l’inferno I turisti vanno sulla proprietà privata?”

“Le da come queste persone sono, Scip,” said Prosper, joining Scipio on the loading dock to face the boatload of tourists. “Tutto ignorano.”

“Ascoltarlo, Scipio,” Davide added, joining Prosper and Scipio. “Ha fatto un ultimo punto. Queste persone sono neanche di valore il suo tempo. Sono degli idioti, Scipio. La migliore cosa di fare poiché l’atto come loro meanche esiste.”

The boat sailed into the dock. One man tried to jump onto the dock. Scipio pushed him into the water as he screamed like a bloody maniac.

“Shut it you!” Scipio hissed as the man made his collision with the water.

“Who are you?” asked another. It was obvious this one was the leader of the invaders.

“I could ask you the same,” Scipio replied. “It’s Matteo Grinani,” he replied.

“You are a liar, Malcolm MacNeil,” said Scipio.

“Who are you?” asked Malcolm MacNeil, ignoring the fact that Scipio had seen straight through his Italian lie to his Scottish core.

“I don’t think you want to know. If you found out things could end very badly for you.” Davide and Prosper exchanged glances.

“I want to know your name, boy and those of your friends.”

“Too bad,” said Prosper. “You’re not going to get any of the information you came for.”

“Very well,” said Malcolm MacNeil. “But I’m warning you now, things could turn nasty for you all. And that’s not an empty threat. This will turn nasty. Everything you know, everything you care for, everything you want, you need out of life, will change. I know who you are, Scipio Massimo.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations
> 
> Giuno che questi turisti saranno la morte di me. Questi stronzi maledetti neanche dovrebbero essare qui! Questo è la proprietà di mio padre tuttavia dal punto di vista tecnico. Ciò che l’inferno I turisti vanno sulla proprietà privata? - These tourists will be the death of me. You assholes shouldn't even be here. Technically, this is owned by my father. Why do you insist on taking your tourists onto private properties?
> 
> Le da come queste persone sono, Scip. Tutto ignorano. - They're only human, Scip. Ignore them.
> 
> Ascoltarlo, Scipio. Ha fatto un ultimo punto. Queste persone sono neanche di valore il suo tempo. Sono degli idioti, Scipio. La migliore cosa di fare poiché l’atto come loro meanche esiste. - He's right, Scipio. He made a good point. These people aren't worth your time. They're idiots, Scipio. The best thing to do is to act like they don't exist


	7. Chapter Seven

Scipio, Prosper and Davide followed the boat. The figure of Malcolm MacNeil stood at the stern, looking back at the threesome. He looked deadly, even at this great distance. Prosper suddenly felt that everything had changed for the worse. He glanced over at Scipio.

“I’m an idiot,” Scipio said, suddenly.

“No, you’re not,” said Davide.

“Yes, I am,” Scipio replied. “I know him. He was the manager.”

“He managed a movie theater?” asked Prosper shocked.

“This movie theater,” said Scipio.

“No wonder he looked pissed,” said Prosper. “A bunch of kids have taken over his establishment.”

“I wish it was going to end there,” said Scipio. “But he’s probably going to tell my father everything about this.”

“You won’t be going back there, Scipio. I won’t let it happen,” said Prosper. “Let’s tell the others.”

When Prosper, Davide and Scipio returned, Hornet, Riccio and Mosca cluttered around them, questioning them.

“Where were you? What’s going on?” Hornet demanded.

“Who was that leaving?” asked Riccio.

“He looked dead whoever he was,” Mosca commented.

“I wish he were,” Scipio muttered.

“What’s going on, Scip?” asked Mosca.

“That was Malcolm MacNeil, but he goes by the name of Matteo Grinani,” Scipio explained.

“He better not be related to me,” Hornet muttered.

“I don’t think anyone would marry him,” said Davide.

“And if they were about to, I’d deem them crazy,” Mike added, appearing behind Riccio and Mosca.

“What are we going to do?” asked Hornet.

“We’re going to chase him away from here before he can tell my father where I am,” said Scipio. “For all he knows, I’m dead and I intend for it to stay that. He’s not going to tell my father anything about this place. For all I care he can go to hell and plot against me with Carlo. All I know is that I don’t want him anywhere near this place. He got way too close today. He must never be allowed that near again.”

“He’ll never even remember this,” said Davide, in reply.

***

Malcolm MacNeil hammered the fancy gold knocker against the pure black of the door of the Casa Massimo. A maid answered the door.

“Can I help you?” she asked.

“Yes,” said Malcolm. “I’m Matteo Grinani. I would like to see Dottore Massimo.”

“Does he know you?” asked the maid, suspiciously.

“He will,” said Malcolm, his voice full of confidence.

“Come in,” said the maid.

The maid led Malcolm through the entrance hall into a room.

“Wait here,” she said.  “I’ll inform Dottore Massimo that you are here.”

“Grazie,” said Malcolm, his fake Italian accent firmly in place.

The maid left.

Malcolm took the opportunity to examine the room. It looked exactly the same as it had looked when he had come to admit to Dottore Massimo that he couldn’t afford the rent Dottore Massimo had set. Dottore Massimo had retaliated by closing the Stella. Now it seemed, his old cinema had been taken over by a group who Malcolm guessed were orphans.

“Signor Grinani.” Malcolm whirled. Behind him, looking exactly the same as before was Dottore Massimo.

“Dottore Massimo,” said Malcolm in reply.

“Why are you here?” asked Dottore Massimo, cutting right to the chase. He sat down on his desk. The desk was of glass with an opaque white ‘M’ within a circle.

“I believe I can afford to reopen the Stella now.”

“That is of no interest to me, Signor Grinani.”

“I thought...”

“You thought wrong. Now get out of my study. My house, period.”

“I thought you’d like to know I found your son tonight.”

“I don’t have a son.”

“Yes,” said Malcolm. “Yes you do; his name’s Scipio. It seems he’s taken up residence in the Stella.” Malcolm turned and left Dottore Massimo standing in his study very confused and baffled.

Dottore Franco Massimo has a serious conflict. On one hand, he had found where his son had been since he’d run away and Dottore Massimo was missing him. On the other, Dottore Massimo didn’t have the time for a son. He should never have married. But it seemed everything had happened and Silvio and Scipio had appeared in his life. He refused to acknowledge Silvio’s death at the funeral, but that had been when he stated hating Scipio. Though he refused to call it that.

Dottore Massimo looked up at the balcony. The balcony was above his office and in the past two years it had become a favored haunt of Scipio’s. It was almost normal. Dottore Massimo sighed. To be honest, he wanted his son back even if it was only to beat him, but from everything he knew about Scipio’s friends, they weren’t going to be easy to get rid of. Especially Prosper Nedermann.

***

_“No!” Prosper screamed. “You won’t take him!”_

“Prop, wake up.” Scipio’s voice sounded through his dream.

_“He’s been through enough!” Prosper snapped._

_“I’ll take him,” whispered the voice again. “I’ll take him from you, Prosper Nedermann.”_

_“Leave him with me.”_

_“I won’t let him continue mixing with him.”_

_“I want to!” Scipio’s voice interrupted his father. “You will be going into the military and staying there until you’re learned your lesson.”_

_“Your plan isn’t going to work.”_

_“It doesn’t have to,” Dottore Massimo replied icily. “You just have to obey.”_

_“I won’t obey your ideas. I’m not the person you want me to be.”_

_“You will be. One day.”_

_“No, Father,” said Scipio’s reply. “I’m never going to be like you. I don’t want what you’re wanted for...”_

_Scipio screamed, recoiling in pain as Dottore Massimo’s icy hand met with Scipio’s cheek._

_“I don’t believe you,” said Prosper._

_“Oh I think you can,” said Dottore Massimo._

_“Your son is never going to change.”_

***

“Prop, come on,” said Scipio. “The others are waiting for us.”

“Scipio,” Prosper muttered.

“Yeah, hey,” said Scipio. “You’re going to be fine.”

“You sure?” asked Prosper. Scipio looked at Prosper.

“You should really go back to sleep, Prop,” said Scipio. “You look like hell.” Scipio stroked Prosper’s hair out of his eyes. “Go back to sleep, Prop. I’ll make your excuses.” Scipio stood, turning to go.

“Wait,” said Prosper. “There’s something you should know. Your father wants you back.”

“Sleep, Prop.”

***

“Do you think it’s true?” asked Davide.

“I don’t know what to think,” Scipio replied.

“Do you think he cares?”

“I think you can answer that for yourself, Davide. Look what he did to you when you and Carlo went over for dinner.”

“Point taken,” said Davide. “But I still think that Prosper’s right. Your father’s after you again, Scip.”

Scipio sighed. “I hate him,” Scipio muttered.

“I know you do,” said Prosper.

“What are you doing here?” Davide asked.

“I wanted to tell Scipio that he has only to say the word and then we will put our plan to get back into the Casa Massimo into motion,” replied Prosper.

“Tonight,” said Scipio, firmly, looking at Prosper and Davide who nodded. Sensing Prosper wanted to talk to Scipio alone, Davide slid out of the room as quietly as could manage and shut the door with a soft snap.

“About that dream,” said Prosper. “It was weird. It sounded like it should’ve happened to you, not me.”

“Thanks ever so,” Scipio responded, rolling his eyes.

“I wasn’t trying to get into your mind.”

“I know that, but I still think we should do it tonight. I saw my mother which means they’ll be too distracted with fighting among themselves. If Malcolm MacNeil hadn’t returned I doubt my father would have even realized I hadn’t returned.”

“So it’s his fault,” Prosper confirmed. “You deserve to never have to deal with that ever again. We’re going to do it tonight and nothing is going to stop us from making sure that we get back at him.”

“He’s always hated me. He’s always ignored me.”

“Scipio, listen, all that is about to change. He’s done with ignoring you. He needs to learn to appreciate you for who you are, not what he wants you to be.”

“Me ha visto sempre come Silvio. Anche quando Silvio era vivo, ero sempre Silvio ed era sempre Scipio. Ero il più vecchio figlio, il uno che dourebbe seguire nei passi di suo padre, Silvio era il uno che ha potuto fare che ha voluto. Non era giusto, Prop! Non è tuttavia guisto! L’odio, Prop! Merita per morire! Merita essere assassinato nei sangue freddo.”

“So che lei l’odia. So che pens ache meriti per morire. Dopo provare a strappare che abbiamo fatto a parte, lo merita. Andare al Casa Massimo, ed ucciderlo, ma vengo con lei e l’uccideremo insieme.”

***

“We’re doing it tonight,” said Scipio. Davide and Prosper looked at everyone else’s reactions. Hornet looked confused. Mike and Mosca started cheering. Riccio looked off into space. “And this time we won’t be on different sides and we won’t get caught.” Riccio and Mosca looked down,

Hornet sighed. _Of course you’d mention that._ Hornet thought annoyed.

“Are you sure?” asked Hornet.

“Question it and stay here,” Prosper replied. Hornet shut her mouth, but continued to glare at Prosper. “Anyone else staying behind?” 

“I’m not staying behind!” snapped Hornet.

“If you keep talking like that you will be,” replied Davide.

“I hate you all,” Hornet burst out savagely, before dashing out of the room.

“So I guess Hornet’s out,” Riccio commented.

“You guessed right,” Davide ruled.

“We need to plan,” said Mike.

“Never would’ve thought that,” said Mosca, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

“We don’t need to plan,” said Scipio. “You just need to follow my lead.”

***

Scipio hammered the gold knocker on the door of the pure black that made the Casa Massimo stand out on Fondamenta Bollani. He heard the sound of the knocker sound through the house and a string of profanities coming from the windows where Dottore Massimo’s study was. Scipio sighed. Obviously nothing had changed since he’d left. To him, everything seemed exactly the same.

“Caio la so?” Scipio was brought back to earth by the maid’s voice. Scipio looked at the maid straight in the eye. “Signor Massimo, che lei fa qui? Dove lei è stato? Farla...”

“Fuori da della mia maniera!” Scipio, pushing past the maid.

“Spiacente,” Davide muttered to the maid as he, Prosper, Mike, Riccio and Mosca breezed past.

“Attesta! No! Non andare lá dentro! Dottore Massimo è en una riunione! Non vuole essere interrotto!” the maid called after them.

Scipio whirled. “Sono suo figlio,” Scipio hissed. “Vorrá vedermi.” Scipio continued back down the hallway. When they reached a door, Scipio didn’t hesitate. He crashed straight through the doors. “Padre, richiedo per parlare con lei.”

Dottore Massimo met Scipio’s eyes for the briefest of moments, before reverting his eyes back to his meeting partner.

“Partirci,” said Dottore Massimo. The man he’d been talking to left the room. Scipio circled his father. Dottore Massimo looked at his son. “Dove lei è stato?”

“Sono che è stato spiegato a lei. Sono sicuro che lei tutto sa lei vuole sapere, lei il bastardo falso. Tutto lei vuole sapere è lì. Andare e portare il suo asino fuori da della mia vita! Nego tutte le relazoni con lei, lei la schiuma di maiale! Lei sono miente ma la schima di maiale nei miei occhi, Franco! Lei non è mio padre. Lei è la schiuma di maiale di bastardo!”

“Scipio...”

“Lei ha la sua seconda probabilità tempo fa. Lei non merita un terzo.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:
> 
> Me ha visto sempre come Silvio. Anche quando Silvio era vivo, ero sempre Silvio ed era sempre Scipio. Ero il più vecchio figlio, il uno che dourebbe seguire nei passi di suo padre, Silvio era il uno che ha potuto fare che ha voluto. Non era giusto, Prop! Non è tuttavia guisto! L’odio, Prop! Merita per morire! Merita essere assassinato nei sangue freddo. - I have always been seen as Silvio. Even when Silvio was alive, I was always Silvio and he was always Scipio. I was the oldest child, the one who had to follow in his father's footsteps, Silvio was the one who could do whatever he wanted. It wasn't fair, Prop! It still isn't. I hate him, Prop! He deserves to die! He deserves to be murdered in cold blood. 
> 
> So che lei l’odia. So che pens ache meriti per morire. Dopo provare a strappare che abbiamo fatto a parte, lo merita. Andare al Casa Massimo, ed ucciderlo, ma vengo con lei e l’uccideremo insieme. - I know you. I know you think he deserves to die. After all he did to rip the two of you apart. Go to Casa Massimo and kill him, but I'm coming with you and we're doing this together.
> 
> Caio la so? Signor Massimo, che lei fa qui? Dove lei è stato? Farla... - Hello, who are you? Signor Massimo, is that you? Where have you been? It...
> 
> Fuori da della mia maniera! - Out of my way!
> 
> Spiacente - Sorry
> 
> Attesta! No! Non andare lá dentro! Dottore Massimo è en una riunione! Non vuole essere interrotto! - Wait! No! Don't go in! Dottore Massimo is in a meeting! He doesn't want to be interrupted!
> 
> Sono suo figlio. Vorrá vedermi. Padre, richiedo per parlare con lei. - I am his son. He'll want to see me. Father, talk to me.
> 
> Partirci. Dove lei è stato? - Pardon me. What are you doing here?
> 
> Sono che è stato spiegato a lei. Sono sicuro che lei tutto sa lei vuole sapere, lei il bastardo falso. Tutto lei vuole sapere è lì. Andare e portare il suo asino fuori da della mia vita! Nego tutte le relazoni con lei, lei la schiuma di maiale! Lei sono miente ma la schima di maiale nei miei occhi, Franco! Lei non è mio padre. Lei è la schiuma di maiale di bastardo! - I'll explain it to you. I'm sure you want to know where I've been, you bastard. All you want is already there. Go and get your ass out of my life! I'll deny all relations with you, you pig! You are nothing but a pig my eyes, Franco! You are a pig of a bastard!
> 
> Lei ha la sua seconda probabilità tempo fa. Lei non merita un terzo. - You had your second chance long ago. You don't deserve a third


	8. Chapter Eight

Scipio met his father’s eye for the first time since he’d run to the Stella for help. The last time things were in reverse. Dottore Massimo had had complete control over Scipio. Now Dottore Massimo wasn’t sure who this boy was. He looked so much like his son, but he was acting so mature. Dottore Massimo couldn’t remember when it had started happening. In fact, he couldn’t remember who the boy standing before him was.

“Silvio...”

“It’s Scipio.”

“Who are you?”

“Your other son, but you’ve been so unfair to me that it’s almost like I’m not even in your life.”

“What did I do to you to make you act like this?”

“Who the fuck do you think you are?” Prosper snapped.

“And you’re the one who turned my son into a homophobe.”

“You’re a homophobic bastard!” Prosper snapped. “You don’t even care about your own son! You can’t even tell which one he is which!”

“And one of them is dead!” Scipio snapped. “Silvio has been dead for years! Did you even see how much less you saw of me? Did you even realize you had to buy a new motorboat?”

“Money is nothing. There’s plenty in our family, Scipio. You know that.”

“Do you really think I care about how rich we are?”

“Yes.”

“You are a liar!” Scipio snapped. “I’m not going to ever return. I don’t care how much money you have. I want you leave me alone.”

“You are my son!” Dottore Massimo lost it. He slapped Scipio. “You will obey.”

“You vile cheating scum!” Prosper yelled.

“Prop,” Mosca whispered, laying a hand on Prosper’s shoulder.

“No,” Prosper replied, meeting Mosca’s eyes. “He has to hear this.” Prosper turned to face Dottore Massimo. “You’re lying, Dottore Massimo,” Prosper whispered. “I want the truth. Your son deserves the truth.”

“My son...” Dottore Massimo started.

“Non sono suo figlio lei puttock stupido il bastardo, il leccacazzi!” Scipio snapped. “Lei il che va in culo a sua madre fava! Vaffanculo! Vai in culo! Il padre, lei è uno testa di merda, non viverò con lei più, Ho degl amici. Abbiamo pres oil suo vecchio teatro. Lei non lo prenderà mai di nuovo. Lei lo ritornerà a Matteo Grinani. No la lascerò! Portare il suo asino al canale, partarlo alla laguna, spero che lei anneghi.”

***

Scipio, Prosper, Mosca, Riccio, Mike and Davide crept through the Casa Massimo. Shouts echoed up to them, a man that was no other than Dottore Massimo and Scipio’s mother who, as much as she loved her son, spent most of her time working in as many other towns as she could. When her business took her to Venice, she and her husband would argue.

“I want him to have a life.”

“He needs military discipline, Carmela.”

“He doesn’t,” came Carmela’s reply. “He wants to have a life, not your sad excuse for one.”

“I’ve heard him telling me that for years.”

“Then stop turning a blind ear to your son, Franco. I don’t want to take him away from his friends, but if I have to, I’ll take him away this time. Do you have any idea how many letters and emails I’ve gotten in the last month from our son? Don’t tell me you’re beating him, Franco.”

“It’s the only way he listens to me, Carmela.”

“I don’t care!” Carmela snapped. “Stop beating him, stop blaming him for Silvio’s death. He does it enough on his own. He doesn’t need you making it worse. In fact, he doesn’t need you at all.”

“Has he told you who he’s been hanging with?”

“Yes,” Carmela replied. “He’s been hanging out with people who you would call the hoi polloi.”

“Stop him, Carmela.”

“I want him to have a life...” Dottore Massimo grabbed Carmela. “Don’t make me do this ever again.”

“I didn’t make you do anything!” Carmela snapped.

“I’ve been doing it to our son to force him to behave.”

“I know that,” Carmela replied. “I’m glad he’s found friends. With you in his life, he needs them.”

“Oh and by the way, our son is a disgrace to God,”

“Our son is not a disgrace to God, you homophobic bastard!”

***

In the hallway upstairs, Scipio overheard the loud conversation his parents were having. Scipio softly crept in and out of the rooms, taking what he knew to be the most expensive items in the house and what he knew were his father’s favorites. As Scipio walked out of a room, Prosper came up behind him.

“Your mother sounds all right,” Prosper whispered.

“She is,” Scipio whispered back. “I never want anyone to come back here ever again.”

“You won’t have to.” Prosper read through Scipio. “You’re not coming back here either.”

“I don’t plan on it. Even if I wanted to, I know you would never let me.”

“Scipio!” Dottore Massimo called. “Scipio!” Dottore Massimo appeared at the end of the hall.

“What do you want?” Scipio asked. Dottore Massimo advanced toward Scipio and Prosper. A knife glittered in Dottore Massimo’s hand. Scipio lunged in, grabbing for the knife.

Scipio reached for the blade in his father’s hand. Dottore Massimo whipped the blade out of reach. Scipio calculated his lunge; then leapt at his father. Dottore Massimo’s palm meet Scipio with a resounding clap that sent Carmela, Davide, Mike, Mosca and Riccio to the hallway. The new arrivals joined Prosper in watching. Scipio recovered, bringing his own hand up. Dottore Massimo tried to stop Scipio from slapping him, but it wasn’t a success. Scipio slapped Dottore Massimo. The knife went flying. Mike caught it, having been taught to catch flying sharp objects in America from a friend. Dottore Massimo forced Scipio back. Scipio took one step back, before back flipping out of the fight, kicking his feet straight into Dottore Massimo’s face, who stumbled back.

“Don’t you dare!” snapped Dottore Massimo, recovering from the kick in the face.

“I just did,” Scipio replied.

“Never do that again,” said Dottore Massimo.

“I’m not living here anymore,” Scipio replied. “You don’t have authority over me.”

“You’re still an underage bastard,” Dottore Massimo hissed. Carmela Massimo gasped. She hadn’t known it had escalated to this level.

“I’m not a bastard!” Scipio snapped. “You’ve been trying to make me look bad every chance you get for the past seven years. You’ve never understood me! You always understood Silvio better than me. I wasn’t to blame for Silvio’s death. Stop trying to pin that on me as well.”

“Scipio,” Carmela whispered. “I’m sorry, I’ve should’ve been here for you.”

“It wouldn’t have made a difference,” Scipio replied.

“Stop feeling sorry for your son, Carmela, he needs discipline.”

“Stop beating him.”

“I don’t beat my son, Carmela. Where did you hear of this?”

“You did beat your son, you bastard,” Prosper snapped. “Your son was terribly injured. He’s been living with us ever since. He was near death. You stinkin’ puttock! You bastard! Vaffanculo!”

“Stop being rude to your superiors,” Dottore Massimo ordered.

“I’m not finished yet,” Prosper snapped.

Dottore Massimo whirled on Prosper, his eyes full of fury. “Oh yes you are.”

“You loved Silvio,” said Prosper. “But now you need to stop pretending. Silvio isn’t going to return. He’s dead. When you die, all this will go to Scipio.”

“It will not,” said Dottore Massimo.

“It is reality,” said Davide.

“Deal with it,” Mike added.

Scipio turned, looking at his friends. They were backing him. His mother was there, too. Standing in the back, watching. Across the room was his father. The man he was dealing with at the moment.

“Do with me what you want, Scip,” said Prosper. “But we’re never returning here.”

“I know that,” Scipio replied, before turning his stubborn gaze once more upon his father. Without breaking his gaze with his son, Franco Massimo reached for a dagger. He took aim. The dagger flew through the air Scipio. At the last second, Mike snatched the dagger out of the air a second time. The lights forced the dagger to glint silver. They flamed and cast long spidery shadows across the marble floor. Scipio looked around at everyone involved and saw he knew everyone. Franco Massimo had invited everyone who was anyone to the gathering.

“Your son is out of control, Dottore,” said a man. Scipio looked up. It was Signor Greco, Carlo and Mike’s father. Signor Greco met Scipio’s eyes. “Aren’t you the one who killed Carlo?”

“Yes,” said Scipio, not even bothering to lie.

“You killed my son!” Signor Greco yelled.

“Caio, Padre,” said Mike.

Signor Greco turned, meeting Mike in the eye. “Michele, che lè? Che fa lei con l’hoi polloi e figlio di homo di Dottore Massimo?”

“E il mio amico. Da allora grando ho ascoltato a lei di questo soggetto o qualunque altro?”

“Lei ha non vuole obbedirci, Michele.”

“Esettamente,” Michele replied. “E non farò mai di nuovo.” Mike moved. Leaving his very confused father behind.

“Venire con me,” hissed a voice behind Scipio. Scipio turned. His father was standing right behind him. Dottore Massimo grabbed Scipio and pulled him into a side room.

Once in the side room, Dottore Massimo threw Scipio into the opposite wall.

“La voglio polire il suo atto ed il suo ritorno a casa. Voglio che ho voluto per Silvio pei lei.”

“Che se non voglio cìo non è un’opzione!” Dottore Massimo snapped. He slapped Scipio hard around the face.

“Lei pensa vealemente che mi pneooccupi che lei pensa di me?” Scipio questioned softly. “Perchè ho delle notizie per lei, il Padre, non me preoccupo che lei pensa. Non mi preoccupo che lei mi vuole fare. Viverò la mia vita come vedo la misurae se lei no l’ama, bene, troppo cattivo per lei.”

Dottore Massimo met Scipio’s eyes. Then he struck out with his hand. “You have got to stop standing up to me like this.” From his place on the floor, Scipio met Dottore Massimo in the face. He glared. The slap had left a red burn on his cheek and Prosper had to use major control not to move beside his friend.

“I’m not going to stop standing up to you,” said Scipio.

“If you don’t...” Dottore Massimo threatened.

“Stop threatening him right now,” said Prosper, unable to stop himself.

“Stay out of this, you piece of trash! You’re part of the hoi polloi!” snapped Dottore Masimo.

“I’m not the trash who is beating his son!” snapped Prosper. His anger was on the verge of overflowing. He couldn’t believe what Dottore Massimo was doing to his son. He knelt next to Scipio, his face showing what he wanted to say to his friend. “How could you do this, you fuckin’ piece of shit?”

“Get your ass out of here,” hissed Dottore Massimo. “And take my good for nothing son with you!”

“He’s not anything like that,” said Prosper. Dottore Massimo swept from the room, followed by Signor Greco and his friends.

“I’m sorry, Scipio,” said Carmela, quietly. “I should’ve gotten you out of here.”

***

“And you’re glad that happened?” asked Mosca.

“I don’t know what to think,” Scipio replied.

“You don’t have to know,” said Mike. “It took years for me to figure out me and Carlo were on different sides. I don’t regret Carlo getting murdered. I don’t regret anything that happened that night.”

“He didn’t deserve to be a part of this anymore,” said Riccio.

“So, how did it go?” It was Hornet. Her brown hair was, for once, unbraided and thrown up in a messy bun. She looked at the scene before her. Scipio, Prosper, Davide, Mike, Riccio and Mosca were sprawled out across one side of the stage, which was covered in what looked like the Stella’s entire stock of blankets plus several that they must’ve just stolen.

“Terrible,” said Prosper.

“Interesting,” was Davide’s contribution.

“What happened?” sighed Hornet, joining her friends on the stage and shaking her hair down.

“Several things,” Davide muttered.

“What really happened?” asked Hornet. Prosper and Scipio glanced at each other. “What?”

“We got in an argument about Dottore Massimo with Dottore Massimo,” said Prosper.

“Are you going to be okay?” Hornet questioned.

“I suppose,” Scipio replied.

“We’re not going back there,” said Prosper.

“Says who?” asked Hornet.

“Says me,” Prosper replied.

“Yeah, I second that,” said Scipio.

“They’re your parents,” said Mosca.

“If you want to get beaten every time he gets drunk, then by all means, take my place!” Scipio snapped. “I’m not going back there. Have you seen how they treat me? They think I’m Silvio. They think that ‘Scipio’ was the one who died in the lagoon. They think I’m the one who doesn’t care. I hate them! They’ve done nothing but push me aside! They hate me! But I don’t care because I hate them too. I’ve had it with the way they treat me.”

“They deserve it,” said Prosper. “I’m never letting you go back there.”

“What really happened, Prop?” asked Hornet, worry pushing through to the surface.

“Scip and his father had another fight. This time it got physical. Scip kicked his father in the face.”

“Are you alright?” asked Hornet, knowing full well that Scipio disguised his injuries in ways that only Hornet and Prosper knew.

“Yes!” snapped Scipio. “I’m fine. Well, except for the fact my father slapped me, but I kicked him in the face, so it’s all good.”

“Can I talk to you two?” Hornet asked. “Alone.” She glanced pointedly at Davide and Mike who had been ready to follow her, Prosper and Scipio out of the room.

Sighing, Davide and Mike settled back into the blankets. Hornet led the way into the sleep area, which at the moment was bare of blankets. Scipio reached into a bag and dug out more.

“Jesus, Scip, did you steal the entire stock of blankets?” asked Hornet.

“Trust me,” said Scipio. “My parents have more than enough.”

Once Hornet, Scipio and Prosper settled down on Prosper and Scipio’s mattresses, Hornet looked at the two friends for any hidden secrets.

“Tell me the truth,” said Hornet.

“About what?” Prosper questioned.

“About what happened tonight,” said Hornet.

“My parents fought, me and my father fought, everyone got involved in it sooner or later. He slapped me, I slapped him back, I kicked him...” Scipio trailed off, leaning against a post.

“Tell her,” Prosper whispered.

“I...” Scipio started.

“He was almost killed twice tonight. Both times he got a knife thrown at him! Mike had to save him,” said Prosper.

“Prop,” Scipio’s voice was laced with the pain he’d gone through that night. He had just barely held it together before, when he was with everyone, laughing and talking.

“I’m not going anywhere tonight,” Prosper. “I knew you’d need me.”

“Is he going to be okay?” asked Hornet, sensing that it was time for her to leave Prosper and Scipio in peace.

“Yeah, he just didn’t expect that his parents would notice his return,” said Prosper.

Hornet nodded. “I understand. I understand completely.”

She left.

***

In the days that followed, no one really knew what Scipio and Prosper were up to. The two would go off and be alone for hours at a time, occasionally accompanied by Davide or Mike. It stayed a secret from three original inhabitants of the Stella. It was obvious that something was going on between the four of them. They refused to answer even the simplest questions on the matter.

Scipio, Prosper, Mike and Davide continued leaving Hornet, Riccio and Mosca out of what they were doing. Scipio had disappeared completely and they only saw harried glimpses of the other three. As the days past, they started seeing more, but Scipio...they didn’t know where their leader was. When they did see the others, they tried to question them, but Prosper, Mike and Davide had become experts at both ignoring and avoiding them. Hornet supposed that Scipio must’ve taught them the skills needed for such tasks.

“Do you think this is going to work?” asked Davide.

“It better,” Mike whispered back.

“It will,” said a voice that they hadn’t heard in a while.

“How can you be so sure, Scip?” asked Davide.

“Stop questioning him!” Prosper snapped. “It’ll only make it worse!”

“It will work out,” Scipio confirmed.

Mosca turned to his two companions. “What do you think they’re talking about?”

“I have no idea,” Hornet answered.

“It’s going to work,” said Mike. “Stop doubting him, Davide.”

“When you’ve grown up with Carlo, it’s second nature.” The room fell silent at the mention of Carlo’s name. Carlo had turned out to be a traitor to their group. He had been the one to tell his parents about the gang in the Stella, and his parents had told the Massimos as soon as the two families had been able to get together. It had caused the mess they were in. Everyone had started to hate the Grecos, even their other son.

“We’re going to work this out, we’re going to go back...” Scipio started.

“We’re not going back!” Prosper snapped. “Especially not you.”

“Not Casa Massimo,” Scipio replied. “Isola Segreta.”

“We’ve already gotten Carlo’s body,” said Mike. “What else is there?”

“The ruined merry-go-round,” said Prosper, realizing where Scipio was going with what he was saying.

“Exactly,” said Scipio. “We’re going to go back there and we’re going to spread a rumor that I was forced there. We’ll lie and say it wasn’t an accident that Silvio died. We’ll say that he jumped under the pressure our parents were putting him under.”

“It’ll be a bunch of lies,” said Davide. “It could easily blow up in out faces.”

“If we plan it right, it won’t,” Scipio replied.

“Everything could go wrong,” said Davide.

Scipio looked at one of his oldest friends, the only one in the group who hadn’t turned on him either when he had come out or had started mixing with what the rich of Venice called the hoi polloi. “Stop questioning me, Davide. I know what I’m doing. If you really have that many doubts about whether this could actually make, then maybe you should turn against me like Carlo Greco and all the others!”

“I don’t want to lose you, and I don’t think you want to lose me,” said Davide.

“You’re right, Davide,” said Scipio, softly. “I don’t want to lose you, but I want you to be on board with this as well.”

“I am.” Davide replied, all doubt disappearing from his aura. “I’m going to go through with this, I’m going to start lying for you. I’ll cover up everything that has happened the last few months. You want the truth to never come out, that’s what will happen.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:
> 
> Non sono suo figlio lei puttock stupido il bastardo, il leccacazzi! Lei il che va in culo a sua madre fava! Vaffanculo! Vai in culo! Il padre, lei è uno testa di merda, non viverò con lei più, Ho degl amici. Abbiamo pres oil suo vecchio teatro. Lei non lo prenderà mai di nuovo. Lei lo ritornerà a Matteo Grinani. No la lascerò! Portare il suo asino al canale, partarlo alla laguna, spero che lei anneghi. - I am not your son, you stupid puttock bastard, the cock sucker! You don't deserve my mother! Fuck you! Go in the ass! Father, you are a shithead, I won't be living with you anymore. I have friends. We live in your old theatre. I will never see you again! Return to Matteo Grinani. I will leave. Bring your ass to the canal, to the lagoon, I hope you drown.
> 
> Vaffanculo! - Fuck you
> 
> Caio - Hello (informal)
> 
> Michele, che lè? Che fa lei con l’hoi polloi e figlio di homo di Dottore Massimo? - Michele, who are you? Why are you with the hoi polloi and the homosexual son of Dottore Massimo?
> 
> E il mio amico. Da allora grando ho ascoltato a lei di questo soggetto o qualunque altro? - He is my friend. Since when do I listen you on this or on any other subject?
> 
> Lei ha non vuole obbedirci, Michele. - You do not want to obey, Michele. 
> 
> Esettamente. E non farò mai di nuovo. - Exactly. And I never will again.
> 
> Venire con me. - Come with me
> 
> La voglio polire il suo atto ed il suo ritorno a casa. Voglio che ho voluto per Silvio pei lei. - I want to get my cat and return to that house. It's where I can remember Silvio 
> 
> Che se non voglio cìo non è un’opzione! - That is not an option! 
> 
> Lei pensa vealemente che mi pneooccupi che lei pensa di me? Perchè ho delle notizie per lei, il Padre, non me preoccupo che lei pensa. Non mi preoccupo che lei mi vuole fare. Viverò la mia vita come vedo la misurae se lei no l’ama, bene, troppo cattivo per lei. - Do you really think it matters to me what you think about me? Well, I have some news for you, Father, I don't care what you think. I don't care what you want me to do. I shall live my life the way I want, and if you don't like it, too bad for you.


	9. Chapter Nine

Dim streaks of golden light streamed into the Stella, waking its occupants. People started muttering and moaning from the natural light. But the occupants had woken from the ease of long practice and were already outside on the bridge planning what was going to happen.

The sun glanced across the canal, sending spider webs of golden light across the water. A slight sparkle glinted off the canal. The golden light in the Stella was growing brighter, turning the whole of the Stella into bright gold and making drops of liquid sun spread across the tattered red velvet seats and blue velvet curtain.

Outside, Scipio and Prosper sat on the bridge that was just outside the back entrance that had only a bit of concrete between the building and the canal. The sun dripped drops of bright liquid gold upon the mossy cracked stone bridge. The sky was becoming streaked with purple, gold, blue, orange and red. The colors blended into the color above, but that was all. Nothing else changed.

Inside, Davide and Mike could sense that Scipio and Prosper weren’t anywhere in the building.

“Where do you think they are?” Mike asked.

“Outside,” said Davide, his voice projecting confidence into the silence.

“Let’s go.” Mike allowed Davide to lead the way out the back door. Scipio and Prosper were sitting on the bridge above the canal.

“What are you doing here?” asked Davide.

“Enjoying the sunrise,” came Prosper’s reply. “Go back to sleep.”

Mike and Davide didn’t move an inch.

“That was an order,” said Scipio, glaring at his friends. “I know that both of you haven’t been sleeping.”

“And how would you know that?” Davide asked.

“How about later?” came Prosper’s sigh.

“How about now?” retaliated Mike.

“Okay, fine,” said Prosper. “We’ll tell you. We’re talking, watching the sunrise. It’s not that usual to do these things on a bridge.”

“Especially in Venice,” added Scipio. “I used to do it all the time. It was the one place my father never bothered to look for me”

“Is it still bothering you, Scip?” asked Davide. “Is that the problem?”

“I don’t know what my problem is anymore,” said Scipio. “It seems like it should be perfectly easy to find your problems and solve them, but that’s not the reality, or at least it isn’t for me. Davide, Mike, go home there’s nothing for you here. Come back after you’ve both had some sleep. I know what it’s like to sleep in a strange place. God knows how many strange places I’ve slept in.” Scipio paused for a moment, letting his words sink in before continuing. “I know that you might not share my opinions, but I really don’t care. Someone has been controlling my life since I was born. It’s like I’m royalty or something, but I’m really not that perfect person you make me out to be. I can be a downright asshole and I’m not afraid to admit it. I don’t know why we suddenly are caring about this stuff because this is the stuff that few people know. I don’t want someone trying to control me every second of every day. I’m sick of it and I’m...I’m leaving. I’m leaving Venice. I need to get away from this place for a while and just think. Just think through the things that have gone wrong, or haven’t gone right at least. I’m not even sure what to think anymore. I need this alone time. I need it for me.”

“You’re a great friend, Scipio,” replied Prosper. “I hope you come back soon.”

Scipio smiled. “It’s not even going to be all day, Prop,” said Scipio. “I just need a couple hours.”

***

By nightfall, Scipio hadn’t returned and people began to worry.

“Where is he?” Mosca asked.

“Could be anywhere,” was Davide’s reply.

“Well, that’s sure to help us find him,” said Hornet, sarcasm dripped out of her voice.

“Why don’t you just do everyone a favor and shut up?” asked Mosca.

“Think he’ll come back?” asked Riccio.

“I don’t know,” Prosper replied.

“I think I’ll go look for him,” said Mosca.

“Yeah, think I’ll come too,” said Riccio, following Mosca out the doorway.

Prosper sighed. It was always hard to tell what others were thinking, but Scipio had a knack for it. Not for the first time, Prosper wondered if he could learn. Prosper shook himself to rid his mind of such thoughts, right now he needed to find Scipio. He ran out the back door.

“Prop!” Davide called.

“Where are you going?” called Mike.

Prosper ignored them. He ran onto the bridge. Just as he had suspected, he saw a flash of pale skin and black hair. Without pausing to think of the consequences, Prosper ran up on the bridge and threw himself over the railing and into the canal.

Davide, Mike and Hornet had heard the splash from inside and had run to investigate. As they stood on the landing, they didn’t see anyone.

“Where are they?” asked Hornet.

“I’m going in,” said Davide.

“Are you sure?” asked Mike, gripping his arm. Davide shrugged. “All right, go.” Mike let go and Davide jumped into the dirt-laced canal.

***

Prosper shoved centuries of stink out of his way as he searched for Scipio. Since that first glimpse from the bridge that had made up his mind that he was going look for him, he hadn’t seen any sign that his friend was alive. But somehow he had a feeling that Scipio was somewhere. He just had to be. Somewhere above him, he heard two loud splashes and guessed that Mike and Davide had come after them. He didn’t mind though. The search would probably go faster now that friends they could trust were in the water with them. He wasn’t going to give up on Scipio, not now, not ever. If the boy could be saved Prosper was going to do it. He had to prove to himself and to Scipio that he wasn’t one to leave his friends behind when they needed his help. Prosper saw a second flash of white, a second later, a flash of a strand of dark hair whipped out of sight in the depths. Prosper forced himself deeper after the figure. Bubbles forced around him, streaming out behind forward. Prosper could feel he was gaining on his friend. He saw a third flash of black hair and white skin. He put on a sudden spurt of speed. He saw a flash of clothes that confirmed it all for him.

Davide and Mike pushed aside centuries of rubbish. They followed Prosper closely. As Prosper stopped, then turned. Davide and Mike looked at each other, before Prosper flashed after something, Davide and Mike in close pursuit. Prosper turned back and met eyes with Davide for the shortest of seconds. He nodded. The three zapped forward, rushing after the figure. It was Scipio. He was perfectly still. The currents blew his dark hair around his face. They forced themselves toward their motionless friend. Prosper grabbed Scipio. Davide darted forward, followed closely by Mike. Prosper brushed the black hair away from his friend’s face. Then, gripped him, and swam for the surface. Davide and Mike had already arrived on the bank, according to Prosper’s feelings.

Prosper broke the surface. Davide and Mike helped Prosper get Scipio out of the canal. The moment Prosper had launched himself from the canal, he was beside Scipio. He wiped the wet dark hair out of his friend’s eyes. Davide and Mike watched Scipio and Prosper carefully. Scipio lay on the wooden landing stage.

“Scip,” said Prosper. “Scipio, wake up! Scipio didn’t stir. “Scipio! Scipio! Scipio!” Prosper lay a hand on Scipio’s forehead and gasped. A second later, he drew back with a start.

“Prop?” asked Mike.

“Prop,” Davide repeated. “What is it?”

“Get him inside,” said Prosper, taking control. When Davide and Mike didn’t move, Prosper lost it. “Now! Or do you want him to die!”

That got Davide and Mike moving. They rose quickly and scooped Scipio up between them. Prosper raced ahead and slammed through the door of the Stella. Riccio, Mosca and Hornet had been talking, but when the door slammed open, they turned. Prosper stood in front of them.

“What’s going on?” Riccio asked.

“It’s Scipio,” said Prosper and started running back outside.

Hornet grabbed his arm. “What’s really going on?”

Riccio and Mosca left to see what could be done, though Riccio went somewhat reluctantly and had to be dragged outside to the dock by Mosca.

Prosper looked at Hornet and sighed. “I don’t know how it happen, all I know is that...I’m not sure if he’s going to survive this, Hornet. I really don’t know.”

Hornet embraced him. “You and I, we’ve had our rough patches. I don’t know how we got through those, but we’ll get through this too. Come on.” Hornet laid a hand on Prosper’s shoulder. “Scipio’s going to need us.” Hornet left. Prosper raked a hand through his hair and followed Hornet.

***

The moment everyone was on the dock, they started trying to plan how it was going to work. Scipio was still laying exactly how he had when Prosper left. Prosper ignored everyone and knelt beside his friend.

“Scipio!” Prosper screamed.

“Prop,” Scipio muttered.

“We’ve got you,” Prosper whispered. “You’re going to be okay.”

“I trust you,” Scipio whispered.

Prosper turned to his friends. “Let’s get him inside.”

***

Once Scipio was lying on Prosper’s mattress upstairs, Hornet, Riccio and Mosca went to their own beds. But Prosper, Davide and Mike stayed awake talking long into the night.

They were worried about Scipio. He looked like he was about to die. Everything looked like it was going downhill. It seemed like Scipio might die. They didn’t see how he could survive being underwater for that long. Scipio kept muttering. Prosper whispered softly to him. Mike and Davide sat nearby watching the two whispering soft conversations.


	10. Chapter Ten

_“You will be going into the military,” said Dottore Massimo. “Fortunately for us both in three days you will no longer be my responsibility. My brother is a retired army captain. You shall get some sense and discipline knocked into you from that.”_

_“I thought we already went through this?” Scipio snapped in reply. “I thought you knew that I didn’t want this kind of life or education.”_

_“You need the discipline. Your uncle understands this, why can’t you?”_

_“Because I don’t want this!” Scipio snapped back. He could feel the wall breaking. He felt the anger build up, ready to break._

_“But I am your father!” Dottore Massimo returned. “I expect you to obey!”_

_“I don’t have to obey you,” said Scipio. “I haven’t obeyed you since I was fourteen.”_

_“That won’t help you now,” said Dottore Massimo. “You will obey me and I want you to have a good life.”_

_“I have a good life,” came Scipio’s reply. “I don’t need to have you controlling it all for me.”_

_“But it’s not the life I wish you to have, Scipio. It’s not the life that’s expected of you.”_

_“Do you really think I care?” asked Scipio. “I don’t care if this isn’t what’s expected of me. It’s what I want, Father. It doesn’t have to be something you want or understand. I don’t care if you don’t want this. I want it! I don’t care about you!” Scipio slammed out of the room. “Scipio Massimo, get back here right now!”_

***

Scipio woke up. He ran his fingers through his hair, sighing. He was so much happier here in the Stella with his friends rather than with his abusive father. With a glance around the Stella, he confirmed that everyone else was still asleep. He crept silently past Prosper and the others and hurried downstairs and out the door. The door slamming behind him, brought Prosper out of the light doze he’d managed to fall into. Prosper saw that Scipio wasn’t beside him. Glancing around, he remembered that he and Scipio had gotten the top gallery to themselves the night before with Riccio, Mosca, Hornet and Bo sharing the middle gallery and Davide and Mike had fallen asleep on the stage.

“Scip!” Prosper called. “Scipio! Where are you?”

“I think he went out!” Mosca called up.

“Crap,” Prosper swore. He rushed out the door, grabbing his sweatshirt on the way out. “Scipio! Scipio! Scip! Scipio!” Prosper yelled.

Prosper didn’t look where he was going. He rushed through the streets and raced across bridges. He kept on screaming for Scipio as he rushed on. When he finally paid attention to where he was, he looked up. The place of all Scipio’s torment towered above him.

“Curse you, dottore, curse you,” Prosper whispered.

***

Scipio punched out. Dottore Massimo caught his wrist and slapped him. Scipio cringed from the pain. It flared up.

“You will listen to me,” said Dottore Massimo. “You will go in the military and you will become disciplined.”

“And if that’s not what I want?” Scipio questioned.

“Why would you do that?” asked Dottore Massimo. “You’re forbidden to question everything I say. You must obey, Scipio. I expect you to do so and so you must.”

“I’m not going to obey you,” said Scipio. “I shall never obey you again.”

“You will obey me.”

“I shall never obey you,” Scipio replied. Defiance broke through his words.

“I shall break you.” Dottore Massimo whispered. “I shall beat you.” Scipio backed away into the wall. Behind the wall, Prosper let out a shaky breath. He couldn’t believe his boyfriend had to go through this. He didn’t want Scipio to go through it.

“Scipio,” Prosper whispered. “Oh, Scipio, I wish this wasn’t your life. I want to save you from this.”

“I expect you to obey me now and forever,” Dottore Massimo hissed.

“Why should I suspect that I’ll obey you?” asked Scipio. “When was the last time I did that?”

“I want you to be at my command and you will be who I want you to be.”

“And if I don’t want to be that?”

“Then you shall do so by force.”

“I’ve already broken from you. How do you plan to do such things? How do you plan to force me to be the son of your desires? Because Father, I plan to be anything but the son of your desires.”

Dottore Massimo punched Scipio. Scipio dodged the punch, grabbing a decorative dagger from a plaque on the wall. Scipio held the dagger out when Dottore Massimo tried to grab it, Scipio slashed his open hand. Blood dripped onto the marble floor tiles, turning the pale to red and the black to deeper black.

“What do you think you’re doing?” hissed Dottore Massimo.

“Killing you,” came Scipio’s reply without hesitation. “You really think you can kill me?”

“If I didn’t think I could do so, I wouldn’t even be trying.”

“Be direct in your answers.”

“I can be as careless as I want, I’m not going into the military.”

“I believe you are.”

“I’m not going to obey you anymore! I’m done with you. Forever.”

“Then I disown you.”

“I could care less!” Scipio threw the dagger straight at Dottore Massimo, pulled Prosper out from his hiding place and kissed him, before diving out and slamming the door behind him.

“Damn you, Scipio,” cursed Dottore Massimo. “Damn you. You should never come back. I disown you, Scipio Massimo. You are not my son, you are a bastard!”

***

Prosper faced Scipio the moment they were outside, getting into the gondola Scipio had stolen from Dottore Massimo.

“You sure you’re okay?” Prosper asked.

“Yeah,” said Scipio, sliding onto the platform and taking the oar. “I’m okay, it was just a shock.”

“Scipio,” said Prosper, following Scipio onto the platform. “You don’t have to be okay with this.”

“But I am.”

“He called you a bastard.”

“Yeah, and I don’t care,” Scipio replied.

“You don’t have to be okay with everything that happens. You’re entitled to feelings. You’re not like your father, Scipio. You don’t have to block me out. You don’t have to push me away. I don’t want you to push me away. I want to be there for you.”

“I know you do,” said Scipio. “I don’t want to push you away, Prop.”

“Then I’ll be here for you.”

“I don’t care if he called me a ‘bastard’, Prop. He’s been threatening me with bastardy for years. He’s...”

“You should’ve gotten out of that house earlier. You should’ve just run away. I would’ve.”

“You have no idea what he’s like.” Scipio could tell this was going to be a long conversation. He sank onto the platform. He stared out across the water.

“Scip?” Prosper questioned.

“What?”

“Make me understand what you went through.”

“You don’t want to know,” Scipio whispered. “You won’t want to know me after.”

“What do I have to do to make you trust me? I want to know Scipio. I want to know what happened in that house to make you so scared and not care if you were called a bastard and not care that you’ve been disowned. I don’t ever want to see you that scared again. You scared me today, Scipio and I want to know why it happened in the first place.”

“Do you really want to hear this?”

“Yes,” Prosper replied, his eyes never left Scipio.

“My parents were never truly happy together. They lived such different lives. My father was all business and militaristic. My mother was all fun and parties. I never understood how they even met. They haven’t had a conversation that didn’t end in yelling since I was ten. She moved to Padua soon after. After she left...that’s when it started...” Scipio trailed off.

“Scip,” Prosper whispered. “You don’t have to tell me this.”

“No, I want to,” Scipio replied.

“Then just focus on me, tell me and don’t focus on the past,”

Prosper replied. Scipio met Prosper’s eyes. He ignored the house, focusing on his friend. “When my mother left, my father was ripped apart. He never went out. He stayed in his study. I was left to my own devices. I could do whatever I wanted. The second I turned thirteen, all that changed. He got it into his head to order me around. He ordered Silvio around too. He never left neither of us alone. We could only be alone in our rooms. We closed everyone else out. We only talked to each other. The servants began following my father’s orders and began to ignore us. They were told to only obey direct commands. I was allowed to have Carlo Greco, Davide Ricci and Silvio. Silvio was the good one, but Father still beat him until he died. Even with his problems, Silvio still tried to make me see how much better my life would be if I obeyed. When Silvio died, I was a wreck. I spent all my time with Carlo and Davide. I never came home for two years. When I finally did, I was always breaking the rules he had set down for me.

“It was during all this when I found Hornet, Riccio and Mosca. You know how we met in Piazza San Marco. I heard Hornet telling you the story. That night, I heard that the Stella was going to close, that the tenants couldn’t pay their rent anymore. I thought of Hornet, Riccio and Mosca. I knew at that moment that I knew that I was going to give them that place to live.

“I returned to Castillo to get them, Riccio was scared that I was going to turn them in. I mean who would believe the words of three young orphans over the words of Dottore Massimo’s son. But I didn’t do that. I brought them here. When you and Bo joined us, when I found you in that alley, I didn’t know what to think. I...when I saw you, Prop, you looked so much like Silvio did at that age. I didn’t know what to think. I didn’t know what was going to happen to me. I was scared that my life was going to spin out of control...”

“Scip, it’s okay,” Prosper whispered. “I know you’ve blocked so many people out of your life. I’m not going to tell anyone any of the things you’re telling me right now.”

“I don’t ever want to think about that night again.”

“You don’t have to,” Prosper replied. “But I was scared too. You have no idea how scary that mask was in the dark.”

“It’s supposed to be,” Scipio replied. “It was created to word off the plague. It was to chase away the evil that came with it. One of my father’s friends gave it to him and it hung in the entrance hall until I took it years later. He never even noticed it missing and the friend hasn’t been back since.”

“What was your brother like?”

“He was more like you then you would guess. He was the obedient one, but he was also up to break Father’s rules. He wanted to be the perfect son, but it never seemed to work. Father always seemed to being beating one of us. It hurt Silvio more than he’d say to see me hurt.

“After Silvio died, Father blamed me. He thought I was the distraction that caused the accident. I tried to make him see that it wasn’t me. He never believed it. He’s going to blame me for that until he dies, and maybe he’s right, maybe I did kill my brother.”

“You didn’t kill him,” said Prosper, letting the whispering go. “You tried to warn him. At the time, that was probably all you could do. You’re great, Scipio. Your father has no idea what he’s losing.”

“He didn’t care about Silvio either, Prop. He liked him better than me, because Silvio listened to him at times, something I never did. When Silvio died, he blamed it all on me and...”

“You...”

“If I don’t tell you now, Prop, you’re never going to hear it from me.” Scipio met Prosper’s eyes. “He almost killed me the night Silvio died. A servant was left to care for me, take me to the hospital. Hornet, Riccio and Mosca... well, they didn’t understand. They thought I was tricking them. They were in the Stella and I had promised to bring them some things. I’d wanted to spend time with Silvio. When I did come back, I told them everything. They didn’t know how I survived all that.”

***

Scipio was shaking now. Prosper wrapped a blanket around him.

“It’s going to be okay, now,” Prosper whispered. “I’ll scull us back to the Stella. Try to rest, Scip. I care about you, even if your father would have a heyday with your funeral.”

Prosper shifted Scipio to the seats, then took up the oar and sculled the gondola swiftly back towards the Stella. Prosper’s thoughts weren’t on sculling, they were on everything Scipio had to go through. A burning flame of hatred going for Dottore Franco Massimo. Scipio hadn’t needed the pain he’d been given after Silvio’s death.

***

From other boats on the canals, the two were getting same very strange looks. The brown-haired gondolier wasn’t dressed like the ones the tourists used or the ones attached to specific ruling families of Venice. His passenger had what most would call too-long hair. It blended in with the darkness and sleek black boat. A few recognized them as the son of Dottore Franco Massimo and his strange orphan friend. The black-haired boy was deeply asleep and the gondolier was lost in his own thoughts.

As the gondola sailed past Casa Massimo and continued down the canal, the people who recognized the sleeping passenger as the Massimo heir, got confused, but it was obvious that the gondolier knew whatever plans there were behind the decision. The gondola turned away from the main canal and away from the masses of people and boats.

In Casa Massimo, Dottore Massimo looked out. He immediately recognized his gondola. On it were two boys; one of them sculling the gondola – his gondola – down the crowded canal and the other asleep, wrapped in blankets. He sighed, running his hands through his hair to grease it back into place. He turned away from the window. His heir, Scipio, had disappeared several weeks ago after he’d beaten the shit out of him so badly he’d been sure Scipio wouldn’t be able to move. He’s obviously thought wrong.

***

“Scip. Scip,” Prosper whispered stepping off the steering platform and kneeling next to the sleeping Scipio. “Wake up, we’re back.”

“No! No! Don’t! Silvio!” Scipio screamed.

“Scip! Scip! Scipio!” Prosper screamed.

“Prop,” Scipio breathed and collapsed.

“Scip?” Prosper questioned. Prosper raised his head. “Mosca!”

“What?” Mosca’s voice was sharp and annoyed. “What do you want?”

“Prop, what’s wrong?” It was Riccio, followed by Hornet.

“Is he all right?” asked Hornet.

“I don’t know,” Prosper replied.


	11. Chapter Eleven

It seemed to Prosper that everything that could go wrong had gone wrong in his life. He ran a palm through his hair and sighed. There were times when he wished that these things would stop going wrong in his life, but then he thought of his life before Scipio and realized that he much preferred it the way it was now. What Scipio had told him tonight weighed heavily on his mind. He didn’t want Scipio to have to live through any of that over again. He had seen how much it had scared Scipio to talk about it and he never wanted to see that look in Scipio’s eyes ever again.

“Prop?” It was Mosca.

Behind him were Mike and Davide.

“How is he?” Mike asked.

“I don’t know,” came Prosper’s soft reply.

Davide forced Prosper to look up. “Hey... Prop... he’s going to get through this. He’s been through so much. He can get through this. He’s going to be fine, Prop.”

Prosper looked at Davide. “How do you know?”

“I don’t know,” Davide replied. “But I do know that we can get through this.”

“But...”

“Prop, don’t you dare think like that!” Riccio snapped.

“But if...”

“Prop! Riccio snapped. “That’s not going to happen. He’s going to survive. We’re all going to survive this.”

“Hey,” said Hornet, sticking her head out the door. “He’s awake and he wants to see you.”

“Go, Prop,” said Mike, and pushed Prosper into the Stella.

***

Prosper leaned against the post at the foot of Scipio’s bed.

“Scip,” Prosper whispered. “What happened out there?”

“I don’t know, Prop,” said Scipio. “I really don’t know.”

“It’s alright, you don’t need to say any thing. I understand that you’ve been through a lot, but it’s all right.”

“We’ve all been through a lot,” Scipio replied. “Haven’t you noticed all the things that we’ve been through in the last year?”

“I don’t know how you lived through that for the last few years, but you did and unless...” Prosper trailed off.

“I’ve hated that house since Silvio died. He was the only one who made life in that house bearable. The moment he died, I made every vow to stay away as much as possible. That’s why I never told you anything about what went behind that door.”

“Are you telling me you’ve been beaten since Silvio died?”

“Yeah,” Scipio whispered. “I suppose.”

“Why didn’t you tell me all this before?”

“I didn’t want everyone to know.”

“Do Mike and Davide know?”

“Yeah. Davide got cut by my father at a dinner party and Silvio and I were forced to tell him our father was abusive. Mike just figured it out.”

“You should tell the others.”

“Are you sure that’s the best idea, Prop? I don’t know if they’ll believe me.”

“Davide! Mike! Come here!”

“What up?” asked Mike, as he and Davide made their appearance in the sleep area.

“What do you think about telling Hornet, Riccio and Mosca about Scipio’s family life?” asked Prosper.


	12. Chapter Twelve

Davide Ricci and Michele ‘Mike’ Greco stood just inside the sleeping area that Prosper and Scipio had taken over. They didn’t know what was going on. They were there they were ready to say and do whatever they wanted.

“Hey,” said Mike. “What did you want?”

“We wanted to ask you a question,” said Prosper.

“Let me guess,” Davide said. “You knew about what Dottore Massimo has been doing to Scipio since Silvio died.”

“I figured it out,” Prosper replied. “And yes, that’s why we called you here. We want to tell the others.”

“Do you think we should tell them what really happened? Should I tell them why I was so secretive? Why I never told them what was really going on? That I was hiding parts of my past from them.”

“You would feel better,” Davide whispered.

“But...” Scipio started.

“We can’t help you with this, Scip,” said Mike.

“You should make this decision on your own. It was your life, you should really be making this decision on your own.”

“And if I don’t want to?” asked Scipio.

“You don’t have to do this alone,” said Prosper. “We’re all going to be behind you.”

“Prop! Scip!” Riccio called up the stairs.

“What?” Davide called down.

“Hey! You’re needed!” Riccio called.

“We’ll be down in a sec!” Scipio called.

Prosper, Mike, Scipio and Davide exchanged glances before heading down the rope Scipio and Prosper had installed after Scipio had moved in.

“What did you need?” Davide asked.

“We wanted to know if we were still on for the Massimo raid,” said Mosca.

“Didn’t we already have one?” asked Hornet. “And didn’t it end badly?”

“Yes and yes,” said Prosper. “But we needed to make sure that Franco Massimo is never going to bother us ever again.”

“I’m not sure I want to go back in there,” said Davide.

“You don’t have to,” Scipio replied. “I’m not going to make you do anything you don’t want to do.”

“No, it’s fine, I want to come,” said Davide.

“You don’t have to,” said Riccio.

“Why are we doing this again?” asked Hornet.

“The murder,” came Mosca’s reply.

Scipio and Mosca exchanged a glance as Davide and Mike looked at the two like Scipio and Mosca were going crazy.

“What are you talking about?” asked Hornet.

“There have been things that I’ve been hiding from you,” said Scipio. “It’s terrible and awful and that’s why I kept it from you and hid who I really was from you for all that time.”

“Scipio, what is it?” asked Mosca.

“After Silvio died my father began to blame me for the accident. He said that it was my fault. He started blaming me for everything that went wrong in the house. He began beating me. I hid that from you too. I lied and said that I’d been attacked. I was living two different lives, but somehow I kept them separate. It all ended up going wrong. I’m sorry I kept it from you, but I didn’t know if you would still accept me if you knew my home life was so different than yours. When you found out, I panicked.”

“So you’ve been beaten off and on for the last few years?” asked Mosca.

“Yes,” Scipio replied. “But I’m tired of lying. You deserve to know this. I’m here because I had to escape. I came here because he beat me. I had to get out of there. That’s why I came here in the first place. It’s why I suddenly appeared that day.”

“You know?” asked Hornet.

“Yes,” Prosper replied. “He told me. He trusted me! I’m not surprised he didn’t trust you enough to tell you!”

“Prop!” Scipio snapped. He shook his friend. “Prop! It’s all right.”

“It’s not,” Prosper whispered.

“No, you’re wrong,” Scipio replied. “I’m going to be fine no matter what happens.”

“Why did you hid this from us?” asked Hornet.

“I didn’t know what you’d think,” Scipio replied. “I thought you’d cast me away. I thought if you knew the truth you wouldn’t want anything to do with me anymore.”

“We did think that,” replied Mosca.

“We were stupid to cast you away,” Riccio added. “Everything you said when we made you leave was right. We should never have done it.”

“It’s all right, you had no idea that all this was happening at the Casa Massimo. It wasn’t your fault. I kept so much hidden from you, now I can tell it wasn’t fair to any of us.”

***

Signora Carmela Massimo looked over the entirety of Venice. She knew why Scipio had done what he had, he was her son. She understood what he was going through. Carmela sighed and let a breath out. She knew that Scipio had left her husband’s house, but she didn’t know why and she hadn’t seen her son since the disaster. She wasn’t worried about Scipio. She was much more interested in her social calendar. It hadn’t always been so bad, but after her eldest, Silvio, had died in a boat accident on the lagoon, it had gotten worse. And now, she did almost nothing else. She knew there were secrets locked away in her husband’s house. Though it felt weird calling him her husband even though by Italian law, the marriage was still very much alive. But in the eyes of Carmela and Franco Massimo, the two had been divorced since the day after Silvio’s death when Carmela had moved out.

To be honest with herself, Carmela had no idea when Scipio had gone, but then, when she considered how Franco had treated Silvio, maybe it was good Scipio had finally broken away from Franco.

***

Unlike his wife, Franco Massimo was pissed at Scipio’s treatment of him. He wanted to have control over what Scipio did and over every aspect of Scipio’s life, but Scipio was smart. Smarter than he himself some said, though only when they couldn’t be overheard. He wanted control over his son’s entire life and not for the first time he had found himself wishing that it had been Silvio to survive the accident on the lagoon all those years ago. There were times when he wished that Scipio was dead as well, but being able to beat Scipio put some excitement in what would be a long and boring day. Often, that was the only thing Franco Massimo looked forward to. He didn’t wish to ruin anyone’s life and he wasn’t aware of how hard it was for Scipio to heal and bounce back from each one, each time it happened. He simply wasn’t aware of how much he was hurting his son. He didn’t know how bad it was getting. He wasn’t aware that he was doing it. He was forcing Scipio to grow into something Scipio truly didn’t want to be. But he hadn’t had a choice in the matter and he didn’t think Scipio should have that chance either.

He wanted his brother, Antonio to hurry up and get here, but because Antonio lived on Sicily, Franco knew that it would be least a week before Antonio arrived in Venice. Even though he was aware of it, he still wanted Antonio to hurry up. He didn’t understand what had drawn Antonio to Sicily, but something had and honestly, Franco wanted Antonio to take Scipio and move to Sicily with him. After all, Scipio had begun to mix with the hoi polloi of Venice even though by social structure Scipio was so high above them, he obviously didn’t care. Franco had never understood things about either of his sons. He had never had a wish to which led to both Scipio and Silvio keeping secrets from everyone except each other. After Silvio had died, Scipio had turned to Prosper for everything. He barely talked to him anymore unless required. Scipio had simply stopped caring about life, Franco was sure he’d probably committed suicide by now.

In fact, Franco was sure that Scipio was going to die. It was just a matter of when and how.

***

The sun set over the canal as Dottore Massimo entertained his guests of the week. The serving girls, Bianca and Maria, served the food and Dottore Massimo talked loudly over the two girls who were serving to him and his friends. When the doorbell rang, he only had to look pointedly at Maria who set her tray on the side table and left the room.

“Serve us,” came Dottore Massimo’s command.

Bianca gave a nod of acknowledgement and served the food, not with the ease of Maria, but in perfectly acceptable manner.

The low volume of talking flitted through the cracks of the door. Just outside, hidden from the view of Dottore Massimo and his guests, were Davide, Scipio, Prosper, Mike, Riccio and Mosca. The only one who could see them was the maid, Bianca

“Ready?” Davide whispered.

“Of course,” Scipio hissed back.

Mike kicked the door open.

Dottore Massimo turned in his seat. A gasp escaped his lips.

Standing in the doorway was a group of people, headed by the sons of the people in his drawing room.

“What is the meaning of this?” Dottore Massimo demanded.

“Oh, I think you know, Father,” came a whisper that was almost a hiss.

“What is going on here?” asked Dottore Massimo.

Davide and Mike stepped aside. Standing in the center was his son, but it wasn’t the incredibly sleek person he remembered. He looked perfectly normal except for the plague mask.

“Who are you and what have you done with my son?” asked Dottore Massimo.

“Don’t you see what’s going on here?” asked Mike.

“Actually, I have no idea what’s going on here as surprising as that sounds,” replied Dottore Massimo.

“Well, you have a right to know,” said Mosca.

“Then you shall tell me,” said Dottore Massimo.

“I’m never coming back,” said Scipio. “This is the last time you will ever see me.”

“And how would you know?” asked Dottore Massimo.

“Because I’m controlling my own life now,” Scipio replied. “I’ve moved out, you can no longer control me.”

“But I can still try,” Dottore Massimo said in a silky whisper.

“Yes,” Scipio hissed. “You can try to control me still, but you won’t succeed. You will fail at something, Franco Massimo for the first time in your life.”

“I won’t fail you,” said Dottore Massimo.

“Don’t you see,” said Prosper, speaking for the first time. “You’ve already failed your son. You failed him when you started trying force him into the military.”

“Prop, stop it,” Scipio whispered.

“I’m trying to make him understand,” Prosper whispered back.

“You don’t understand,” Scipio hissed.

“Then help me to understand,” Prosper pled.

“Don’t make him any angrier than we already have by showing up,” Scipio whispered.

“You’re right, Scipio,” Scipio and Prosper whirled away from each other, facing Dottore Massimo. Dottore Massimo faced them. He knew who they all were. The boy besides his own son who was actively defying him was the one who had turned his son gay. The rest were his rag tag group of friends. The two who had stood aside were the only two who Dottore Massimo approved of. They were Davide Ricci and Michele Greco who had just returned to Italy from America a few months ago. He now spoke near perfect English and insisted on being called by what Dottore Massimo called ‘the ultra-Americanized nickname’ of Mike. “He will never understand.”

“You are wrong,” said Mosca. His voice came from the shadows. “Prosper understands Scipio more than you ever will. He understands what Scipio is going through. And another thing...” Prosper tried to pull Mosca out of the line of fire, but Mosca shrugged him off and stepped out of the shadows. Dottore Massimo gasped. The nerve of his son to bring a black person into his house. Dottore Massimo was pissed.

“I tried to save you,” Prosper hissed. “He hates blacks almost as much as he hates gays.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Mosca hissed back. He was way too used to the hatred he was always getting to give a damn about one more person believed it. “Get out of here, slave!” snapped Dottore Massimo.

Davide leaped to Mosca’s defense. “In case you haven’t noticed, Dottore Massimo, slavery was abolished in Italy years ago.”

“Signor Ricci, do you think I care?” Dottore Massimo questioned.

“No, I don’t,” Davide replied. “But I do think that you’re one of the most annoying people I’ve ever met.” Davide paused. “Oh, and I know you’re going to call my father and tell him I’m being rude. But you know what, I’m done, I don’t care what you think of me!”

“Davide,” Mike whispered.

“Frankly, Father, I don’t give a damn about what you want to turn my life into.” Dottore Massimo whirled. His eyes board into Scipio’s face. “I don’t care about what you want for me. I want to make my own choices. I want control of my life for once in my life. I don’t want to go into the military. I don’t want anything to do with you for the rest of my life. This is the last time you will ever see me.”

“And if I try to pull you back to me?” questioned Dottore Massimo.

“Then you’ll have us to answer to,” said Prosper.

“You really think that’s a threat?” asked Dottore Massimo.

“No,” said Mike, in return. “Of course, we don’t believe it’s a threat.”

“Then why are you telling me?” asked Dottore Massimo.

“Because we think you need to stop trying to control Scipio’s life,” said Davide. “Ever since me and Carlo started being friends with him, you’ve been controlling his life. You need to stop.”

“I don’t have to stop anything,” said Dottore Massimo, in reply.

“Yes, you do!” Hornet snapped. “I’m tired of your son coming into our sanctuary bleeding. One of these days, your son is going to die, running away from you.”

“Then all our problems will be over,” Dottore Massimo hissed.

“We’re not going to murder our friend, you backstabbing jerk!” Riccio snapped.

“I’m not asking you to,” Dottore Massimo replied. “You’re managing to make it worse all by yourselves.”

“We’re not trying to,” said Mosca. “You’re the one actually trying here. You’re the one who we never want to speak to ever again. You’re the one who should be punished with this. Not Scipio, not us, you.”

“I don’t consider you to be in my family anymore,” said Scipio.

Prosper glanced at his friend. “You don’t have to say anything else,” said Prosper. “We can fight this out for you.”

“You...”

“Fight your own battles, my son,” said Dottore Massimo.

“You aren’t my father, you can’t give me orders anymore!” snapped Scipio.

“Actually I can,” Dottore Massimo replied.

“Then I’ll never come home, I’ll live with my friends! Unlike you, they actually care about me!”

“You...” Dottore Massimo started.

“Don’t,” Scipio warned. “Don’t even start with me.”

“How...” Dottore Massimo started again.

“Don’t try to make me come home. I never want to live here again. I’m not coming back. I don’t want to join the military, or off with Uncle Antonio and be another one of his minions. That’s not how I want to spend the rest of my life. I want to spend it the way I want and not in the ways you’re forcing on me.”

“I only ever wanted the best for you.”

“You crossed that bridge long ago, Franco. I never want to see you again. I have half a mind to throw you into a canal, spread the word you died in an unfortunate accident and take over.” Prosper saw the anger coming on before it even happened. He felt the steam radiating from Scipio. The moment those last words were out of his month, Prosper gripped his friends before Scipio went crazy.

“Scipio! Scipio!” Prosper screamed. Scipio came out abruptly.

“Prop,” Scipio’s voice was a whisper. “I’m sorry.”

“Hey, Scip, it’s okay,” said Prosper. “I’m not going to blame you. It had nothing to do with anything you did.”

“Don’t...” Dottore Massimo started.

“Zitto idiota!” Prosper snapped, whirling on Dottore Massimo. “Scipio is never going to live with you again.”

“I’ll let my son tell me the truth!” Dottore Massimo snapped back.

“I’m not going to live here again. I’m moving into the Stella, so I can live with people who I actually care about me. I’m done here. I don’t want to deal with the shit you call ‘love’ for the rest of my life. I’m old enough to live on my own.”

“No! You’re not!”

“I’m going to do it, anyway. I’m leaving this house forever.”

“I forbid you. You can’t leave without my permission.”

“Frankly Father I don’t give a damn about what you think or how you think I should live my life. I’m going to live the way I want to live.”

“You’re going to live the way I want. You’re going with Antonio as soon as he gets here. I won’t have your foul mouth in this house.”

“Stop making excuses!” Davide broke in. “Just kick him out already!”

“Fine! Scipio, I never want to see you in this house ever again. Pack your things and get out!”

“Fine!” Scipio snapped. “That’s all I’ve wanted since Silvio died! You don’t think I wasn’t rattled by that? I watched my brother die!”

“Get out of my house!”

***

Even though Scipio was glad he would never have to see his father, Franco and his uncle, Antonio ever again. He was still shaking by the time they got back to the Stella.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Davide asked.

“I’ll be fine,” Scipio responded.

“You’ve got to stop lying,” said Prosper. “I’ve been lying for years, but I’m trying.”

“I know you are, Scip, you don’t have to go through this alone anymore. We’re all here for you. You don’t have to be alone with this. We’re all going to survive this. We’re all going to live through.”

“He’s been telling me that he’s going to throw me out for years, I just didn’t believe it. He used to force me to live my life however I wanted, but... the accident... it changed everything.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:
> 
> Zitto idiota - What an idiot


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Malcolm MacNeil ducked behind a bridge. He saw Scipio Massimo appear with two boys and a girl with brown hair, a boy with black hair, a fourth boy with spiky blonde-brown hair and a fifth boy who was black. Malcolm glared at the black boy. He held a high dislike for these people. He knew Dottore Massimo’s system for dealing with Scipio and knew that everything about it was right. He stayed where he was as the group past.

Malcolm still didn’t understand how Scipio had read through his disguise. Scipio had known him for years, that was true, but how had he accomplished that? Malcolm shook his head to clear it. He focused on the spot where Scipio and his friends had disappeared. He heard the sounds of a low murmured conversation that he clearly wasn’t supposed to hear. He was brought into the conversation by a voice:

“Who’s out there, Scip?” asked the voice.

“I’ll check.”

There was no doubt in Malcolm’s head that the responder was Scipio Massimo.

Scipio appeared. “Malcolm MacNeil,” said Scipio. “Why am I not surprised?”

“Oh, I don’t know, I thought you would be.”

“You can’t surprise me, Malcolm,” said Scipio. “Even your little stint as ‘Matteo Ginani’, manager of the Stella, didn’t fool me. I knew who you were from the beginning. The second I saw you in Dottore Massimo’s house, I knew that you really were Malcolm MacNeil and the whole ‘Matteo Grinani’ thing, I knew that was an act.”

“I knew you were acting too,” said Malcolm. “And now I know where you were always running off too.”

“You really think I care if you know about that?” asked Scipio. “Well, I’ve got news for you, I care if you know all about my life, because in reality, when you die I’ll still be here and another thing clear off!”

“It’s a public street,”

That’s when Prosper, Mike, Davide, Hornet, Riccio and Mosca surrounded Malcolm.

“Who are you?”

“We’re his friends,” said Davide. “You shouldn’t even be in this part of the city.”

“Hasn’t Scipio told you who I am?” asked Malcolm. “I’m...”

“His name is Malcolm MacNeil. He tried to pull off Matteo Grinani, manager of the Stella. It never worked. I figured out who he truly was. Fa...Dottore Massimo kicked him out. The story was that the Stella had gone bankrupt. That was only a story Franco and I spread to keep it from looking like it was our fault that it had closed down.”

“Are you sure that’s how the story goes?” Malcolm asked.

“Of course I am,” came Scipio’s reply. “I was there for the entire thing.”

“There’s no point to arguing with him,” Mike muttered.

“Agreed,” Davide murmured back.

“Trust me,” Riccio muttered. “I’ve tried it.”

“Did you really think I was going to believe you?” asked Malcolm.

“You’re seriously asking me?” Scipio asked. “Do you really want to know my answer? I don’t think you should know my answer. I believe you are nothing. You should return to Scotland and never bother us again.”

“And if I don’t want to?” asked Malcolm. It was clear he was only challenging Scipio to see what was going to happen.”

“I’ll report you,” said Scipio, without a moment’s hesitation. “Report me? To who?” Malcolm was becoming braver.

“El carabinieri.”

Malcolm paled. If he didn’t leave Venice of his own freewill right now, Scipio was going to call the police on him and have them force him back to Scotland. Unless...The plan began to form in Malcolm’s head.

“Stop it!” Malcolm whirled at the sharpness of Scipio’s voice. “Stop thinking that you’re going to take over Franco’s entire operation. As much as I dislike him, as much as I wish he wasn’t my father, he didn’t lie and cheat his way to where he is now! I’d rather have him in power than you! You’re no longer welcome here! You should leave Malcolm Matteo Grinani MacNeil.”

Malcolm gazed into Scipio’s eyes for the briefest of moments. It was a mistake. Scipio’s eyes blazed with black fire.

“Do you want me to burn you alive?” asked Scipio. “Because if you do want me to, I have no problems with doing so.”

“If you kill me, you’re no better than your father.”

Scipio felt a flash of empathy, but quickly brushed it aside. “No, I am better than my father. I don’t murder on spur-of-the-moment, I have my reasons for acting as I do.”

“Then release them,” Malcolm hissed. “Tell me the truth behind every lie you’ve ever told.”

“I already know that I don’t want to tell you. I don’t have to even think about it or give it a moment’s thought. I’m not telling you.”

“And if I try to force it out of you?” Malcolm asked. “What will you do then?”

“I’ll make sure that you never find out the secrets of my life. They’re secret for a reason. You’re never going to know the truth about certain things. It’s just never going to happen,” Scipio hissed.

“And don’t try to force it out of him,” Prosper began.

“Because then you’ll have us to reckon with,” continued Riccio.

“And you certainly don’t want that,” Mosca finished.

“Well you could,” said Mike.

“But soon after...” Hornet trailed off.

“You’d be dead,” Davide finished.

Malcolm glared at the defiant teenagers. This was one of the reasons he’d never wanted kids. There came a point when they became way too defiant for their own good. For these teens that day was this day. Malcolm was too busy glaring at Scipio to notice his friends were surrounding him.

The next second Malcolm found himself surrounded by angry teenagers with a wall at his back and no chance of escape. Malcolm began muttering curse words under his breath.

“What was that?” Scipio asked. “Repeat it all.”

“It was insulting,” Malcolm replied. “I dare not repeat it.”

“I think we could force it out of you,” Prosper cut in.

***

_“Silvio! About! Watch out!” Scipio screamed._

_Silvio spun forward. The boat continued on its collision course. Silvio wrenched the wheel, but the boat smashed in on them showering the two boys with glass. Scipio looked down, searched for Silvio. He wasn’t moving. He was covered in blood and lying still. Scipio screamed._

_“Silvio,” Scipio screamed, before jumping into the lagoon. “Silvio.”_

***

“Scipio? Scipio?” A voice drew Scipio out of the nightmare. It was Prosper. He was in the Stella. He didn’t have to hide anymore. Everyone knew about what had happened between him and Franco Massimo. “Are you all right?”

“What happened?” Scipio muttered.

“I’m not sure,” said Prosper.

“It was just a dream,” Mosca called up from the second balcony which he shared with Riccio, Hornet and Bo.

“Shut up and let the rest of us sleep,” Mike muttered.

“Go back to sleep, guys,” Prosper called. “I’ll deal with this.”

“You sure?” asked Davide.

“Yeah,” said Prosper. “Go back to sleep.”

As everyone else shifted into sleeping poses, Prosper and Scipio shifted into their nightly ritual of talking. For hours the low murmur of voices floated through the Stella. It followed the paths of the air. It was the usual nighttime banter that everyone was used to, but the screams that had been heard weren’t normal. It all seemed calm now. But there was something else. Something that Scipio was sure he was the only one who could sense it.

It was morning before anyone in the Stella realized they had actually returned to sleep after the wake up call from Scipio. The difference in everyone was amazing. It was so much more relaxing in the early morning than in the middle of the night when everyone was tired. Somehow they were all getting through everything that was happening to them.

“What happened in your dream?” Prosper’s words stopped Scipio in his tracks.

“It was the same one,” Scipio answered. “Silvio dying.”

“Do you think your father’s ever going to accept that Silvio is dead and you’re two very different people?”

“Have you seen him?”

Prosper sighed. He should’ve guessed this would be what happened when he faced Scipio on the matter. “No, I don’t,” Prosper finally replied. He hated admitting it, but he also knew in this case, Scipio was right. Franco Massimo would never accept that he had two very different sons and that it would be impossible to Scipio into Silvio.

“Prop! Scip!” Riccio called up the stairs. “Breakfast!”

“Leave it to Riccio,” Scipio muttered, throwing his covers half over the railing, and scrambling after Prosper down the stairs.

“Why can’t we eat now?” Riccio complained.

“It’s rude to eat without your leader,” said Mike, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Do you really want to have a pissed off Riccio on your hands?” Mosca asked.

Mike was saved from answering by the arrival of Scipio via rope and the arrival of Prosper via sliding down the banisters.

“That’s something you don’t want, Mike,” said Scipio. “That’s how we met.”

“Not one of my finer memories,” commented Hornet.

“You got this place out of it,” said Davide. “How could it not be one of your finest moments?”

“She’s talking about the actual meeting, Davide,” said Prosper, as he and Scipio slid into their seats and Mike started serving the waffles he and Davide had made to stop Riccio whining. Hornet jumped up to fetch the forgotten syrup, sliding it in front of Riccio, just as Mike slid Riccio the first plate of waffles.

For a while, the only sounds were the small noises made by the disjointed family eating waffles. As breakfast came to a close, Hornet joined Davide and Mike in the kitchen cleaning up, Bo ran off to find the missing kitten, Riccio and Mosca went off to take a boat ride to the lagoon in the boat Scipio was sure would drown when the two of them one day and Scipio and Prosper made their way to their usual spot on the bridge. There was only one problem. A couple was already there licking each other’s faces off.

“Mi scusi,” said Prosper. No response. “Mi scusi.”

“Who are you?” Scipio demanded. Prosper looked at his friend, realizing that the harsh demand for once hadn’t come out of the mouth of Dottore Massimo and it wasn’t a snap at his best friend.

“Who are you to think you can interrupt us?” asked the boy.

“The Thief Lord,” Scipio hissed.

“And you?” asked the boy, with a glare at Prosper.

“His boyfriend,” Prosper responded.

The couple looked at each other, looked at Prosper and Scipio, then ran from the scene. Scipio glared after them.

“Why didn’t they fall in the canal?”

“That would’ve been good, Scip, I’ve got to admit.”

Laughing at the good time they could’ve had with the strange couple had they thought of it sooner. Prosper and Scipio stole their places on the bridge back. It was the same place where Prosper had to rescue Scipio, but maybe that was why they it had turned into their spot in the first place.

***

Prosper and Scipio had been relaxing in the motorboat Scipio had stolen from Franco Massimo when they heard a cry. They looked. Like Scipio had predicted before everyone had gone their separate ways that morning, Mosca’s boat hadn’t been able to handle the waters of the lagoon. The boat had obviously sunk, leaving Riccio and Mosca in the middle of the lagoon. Scipio drove the boat to their position.

“I told you this would happen,” said Scipio, drawing the boat near Mosca and Riccio.

“Yeah, sorry, I didn’t believe you,” said Mosca.

“In this case, he knows what he’s talking about,” said Prosper. “I would’ve believed him.”

“Yeah, well, not all of us are as devoted to Scipio as you are,” Riccio muttered.

“Maybe you should’ve thought about your future before you went against him,” Prosper muttered back.

“I heard that!” Riccio snapped.

“So be it,” came Prosper’s reply.

“Prop, don’t even bother,” said Scipio. “They’re not going to admit to you that you’re right.”

“Too right you are,” said Mosca. He glared at Prosper.

“Do you want us to help you out of your predicament or not?” asked Prosper.

“Stop arguing, Mosca, and let them help us,” ordered Riccio. Mosca shut up. He didn’t particularly want to spend anymore time then he had to in the canal.

The second Riccio stopped talking, Scipio grabbed Mosca and Prosper grabbed Riccio. They hauled them into their boat. The second they were in the boat, Scipio roared past the sunken wreck of Mosca’s boat and out into the middle of the lagoon.

“My boat!”

“We can come back for it,” said Scipio.

As they continued out, Riccio realized where they were even though the last time they’d been there it had been dark and nearing midnight.

“Oh no,” said Riccio. “I am not stepping foot on Isola Segreta.”

“I’m not going anywhere near a haunted island,” added Mosca.

“Fine, then you don’t have to come,” said Prosper. “You can stay with the boat and make sure it doesn’t get stolen.”

“Or you can come with us,” said Scipio, as the mooring platform came into view.

“Are you trying to make me scared?” Mosca demanded.

“Not trying, Mosca,” said Prosper. “But I see that’s what we’re doing.”

“And doing quite a good job of it,” said Riccio.

The landing platform looked exactly the same to Scipio as it had that night when he, Prosper, Davide, Mike and Mosca had come here to kill Carlo and rid themselves of the homophobic bastard once and for all. Scipio steered the boat close to the landing platform. It was so different out here in the daytime. It didn’t have the strange mysterious quality that Isola Segreta had in the nighttime. The sun beamed down upon the group as they rode into the area where the Conte’s boat had been moored the first time he and Prosper had come here to ride a merry-go-round that was rumored to turn children into adults and adults into children, but it hadn’t worked and it had taken until Dottore Massimo almost beat Scipio to death to get away from him.

“Scip,” Prosper called to his friend.

“What?” asked Scipio, shaking himself out of the past.

“Are you coming?” asked Mosca, glaring at the person who had saved his life more times than he could count.

“Yeah,” said Scipio. “Of course.”

Prosper could tell there was something going on with his friend’s mind, but he wasn’t going to push it out of him until Riccio and Mosca were out of earshot. He’d wanted to take this trip with Scipio alone so they could talk things through. As usual, Riccio and Mosca had mucked that up by going into the lagoon in a rotting boat.

As Prosper and Scipio led the way through the trees to the Conte’s house and up and over the wall in the compound, Riccio and Mosca held a conversation, a scream was heard. Prosper and Scipio whirled around, but it was only Riccio.

“Don’t do that again,” said Scipio.

“Especially not until we get back to the Stella,” Prosper added.

“When will that be?” Riccio complained loudly.

“When we say,” said Scipio. “Isn’t that good enough for you?”

“Fine,” said Riccio. “But I still don’t see why we can’t come.”

“Well you can’t,” said Prosper. “Have a nice day.”

***

Night was falling by the time Scipio and Prosper slid into the ancient courtyard where Carlo was buried and the merry-go-round used to stand. As Scipio and Prosper walked among the pieces of the merry-go-round that was rumored to be amazing, but they hadn’t found it that great. Someone else was stalking through the ancient overgrown courtyard.

“Caio Scipio, Prosper,” said a voice. “Mi chiedero quando sarebbe tornato.” Scipio and Prosper whirled at the voice, and gasped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:
> 
> Caio Scipio, Prosper. Mi chiedero quando sarebbe tornato. - Hello Scipio, Prosper. I wondered when you would return


	14. Chapter Fourteen

 Prosper and Scipio whirled. A girl who looked no older than thirteen gazed back at them. It had been she who had spoken.

“Siete tornati?” the girl.

“Sì,” Scipio replied. He looked at the girl and sighed. “Perchè sei tornato, Morosina? Non c’è niente por voi qui.”

“C’è qualcosa qui perme, Scipio,” the girl Scipio had addressed at Morosina replied.

“E chi sarebbe?” Prosper demanded.

“You’re here?” asked Morosina. The abrupt change to English startled Prosper.

“Yes!” Prosper snapped. “Do you have a problem with us being here?”

“No, but Renzo will.”

“Why?” asked Scipio. Prosper was too shocked that Conte Renzo and Contessa Morosina had returned to this place to respond. He’d thought that with Barbarossa ruining the merry-go-round Conte Renzo and Contessa Morosina had no draw to this place and would never return.

“He believes it’s your fault the merry-go-round was broken and I’ve got to say I’m inclined to agree with my brother.”

“We wouldn’t expect anything less,” replied Prosper, coming out of his shock.

“You know we don’t care about that don’t you?” Scipio asked. “We don’t care that you’re not siding with us. Why did you come back here?”

“For vengeance,” said Renzo, appearing behind Morosina. “We needed to exact vengence on you.”

“I didn’t break your merry-go-round,” said Scipio. “It was Barbarossa who did that.”

“And you were the one who forced him!” Renzo snapped in reply.

“I didn’t force him to do anything!” Scipio countered.

“We suggested it,” said Prosper. “We didn’t tell him directly. Ernesto Barbarossa made the final decision.”

“So you’re both going to deny it?” Renzo questioned.

“Yes,” said Scipio, without any hesitation.

“Shall I lock them in the cells?” Morosina questioned.

“You shall do no such thing.” Scipio and Prosper turned. Renzo and Morosina looked beyond them. Standing beyond Scipio and Prosper were four strange boys and strange girl with the longest hair Renzo had seen since he and Morosina had grown-up. Surprise flared in Scipio’s eyes. He’s only know about Riccio and Mosca being on the island not Davide, Mike and Hornet, but it was just as well. The direction the conversation between himself, Prosper, Conte Renzo and Contessa Morosina was going downhill fast.

“Che sei tu?” Renzo demanded.

“Conte Renzo,” Mike began. "Perdona mi. Lo sono Michele Greco. Ma vi prego di non chiamari così. Mike è quello che me rivolgo a. Se avele il coraggio mi chiami Michele, sentirai la mia ira. Questi sono I miei amici, Davide Ricci, Hornet Grimani, Mosca Lepore e Riccio La Corte. Siamo anche amici di Scipio Fortunato e Prosper Nedermann. Noi abbiamo la legge dalla nostra parte, Conte Renzo.” Mike paused to let his words sink in. Then he kept right on talking: “If that is indeed your name. My sources tell me the real Conte Renzo and Contessa Morosina haven’t returned here since the merry-go-round was ruined.”

“Then where have they gone?” asked ‘Contessa Morosina'.

“Romania,” said Scipio. “They’ve been there since the merry-go-round was ruined.”

“Who are you really?” Prosper asked, over looking the fact that Scipio had kept tabs on where Conte Renzo and Contessa Morosina were hiding and living out their lives all over again, no doubt with Romanian names.

“I’m Marcel Boucher,” said ‘Conte Renzo’.

“And I’m his brother, René,” added 'Morosina'.

“We thought you Italians were easy to comprehend,” said Marcel.

“We were obviously wrong,” René added, removing the long blonde wig he was wearing.

“Obviously,” Scipio responded. He glared at the French brothers.

“Why did you lie?” asked Davide. “Why did you pretend to be Italian, Marcel?” Davide gave Marcel’s name the French pronunciation.

“If we wanted to meet you, we didn’t have a choice,” said Marcel.

“If you had been truthful from the beginning, I would’ve given you a chance,” said Scipio.

“Look we’re sorry,” said René. “We didn’t mean to mess everything up for you.”

“Lucky for you, we discovered the truth,” said Prosper. “How long were you planning to keep up the charade?”

“Just until we could get out of Venice and return to France,” said Marcel.

“What’s stopping you from doing that?” asked Mike.

Marcel looked at the group. “Do you really want to know?”

“I know what this like, not wanting to tell people things.” It was Scipio. His voice had softened.

“How do you know? How do you what I’m going through?” In his panic, Marcel had reverted to his native language.

Scipio flowed into it. “I was abused, Marcel. Having my own father who did it. I was afraid to tell my friends. I didn’t want to talk about it. Don’t try to tell me I don’t know what you’re going through because I do.”

“Why?” asked René, he too was speaking in French.

“You don’t just ask people why they were abused, René. It’s Scipio’s business. He’ll tell the reasons when he’s ready, if he ever does,” replied Marcel.

“Are you orphans?” Scipio’s question caught Marcel off guard.

“Yes,” the bluntness of Marcel’s reply startled Scipio.

“Then you’ve found the right people at least,” said Davide.

“What do you mean?” asked Marcel.

“Let me take you back to the Stella and I’ll tell you everything,” said Scipio.

René and Marcel Boucher exchanged glances. They seemed to be having a heated argument inside their minds.

“Wait,” said Marcel. “We’re lying to you again. We aren’t French. Our names really aren’t ‘Marcel’ and ‘René’.”

“Then who are you?” Davide demanded.

“Your worst enemies,” Marcel replied.

“You won’t want to know us for much longer,” René continued.

“Now get off our island,” ‘Marcel’ demanded.

“Do you know what happened here?” Mike asked.

“We’ve taken the merry-go-round,” said ‘René’. “It’s lured in too many people.” He gave Scipio and Prosper a grateful nod. “We’re never going to let the public near it again.”

“And you think that’s actually going to work?” asked Prosper.

“Yes,” René replied. “We do believe that.”

“Well we don’t think it’s going to work,” said Scipio.

“I see you’ve found my son, good work.”

“Nephew, come! Now!” Scipio flinched.

Prosper, Mike and Davide looked at Scipio. From between the trees, two men appeared. One was Dottore Franco Massimo and the other was his brother, Antonio.

“I’ll see that you’re paid,” said Franco. “Now leave us.”

“You’ve gone low even for you,” said Davide. “And that’s saying something.”

“Paying people to find me, I told you I didn’t want to be found,” said Scipio. He whirled on ‘René’ and ‘Marcel’. “And you! I was going to be nice! I was going to let you live with my friends! But now that I know you’re working with the two people who I’ve been working to get away from forever for the last few months, all that is going away! I could’ve given you an honest life, Marcel! You’re not going to get that now!”

“You’re coming with me,” said Antonio. “We’ll start your new method of education in the morning.”

Antonio grabbed Scipio, but Scipio dodged his hand. “I’m not going with you!”

“I do believe you are,” said Franco.

“I spent years trying to get away from you!” Scipio snapped. The boy who’d been scared when returning from the failed ride on the merry-go-round was gone. “If you think you’re going get me back this easily, you’re crazier than I thought!”

“I’m going to get you to come with us,” said Franco.

“I’m not returning to your life,” Scipio replied. “That’s not the life I want to live. I want to live my life the way I want. I want control. I know you might not get it because you call my friends that hot polloi and you say I’m fraternizing with the unwashed, but I don’t care! They’re my friends and they’re closer to me than you will ever be!”

Antonio struck him. Scipio raised his head. His eyes blazed in anger. “You really don’t want to do that again,” he hissed.

“Oh, I think I do,” Antonio hissed in return. He raised his hand. An instant before he struck,

Mike grabbed his wrist. “Don’t,” Mike hissed.

“Who are you?” asked Antonio.

“I’m Michele Greco,” Mike hissed in return.

“The one who went to America? Or was that Carlo?” Antonio’s gaze left Mike and focused on Scipio.

“Carlo’s dead,” Davide hissed. “There are no regrets among us as to that act. We all believe that he deserved it.”

“You chose badly to reveal it,” said Franco.

“I don’t care, you aren’t my father,” replied Scipio, defiance showed through his voice.

Truth be told, Franco was proud. He had wanted to do what Scipio was doing to him to his father so many times, but Antonio had always been there. Secretly, he felt bad about his treatment of Scipio, but with Antonio, the model of a retired Italian army captain, he knew he couldn’t tell Scipio any of this. Though he doubted that even if the chance presented itself, Scipio would bother listening to what he had to say. It was in Scipio’s mind that he was against him, which he supposed was his fault. “I’m proud of you, Scipio,” said Franco, making a move to try to save his relationship with his son.

“Are you just saying that so I’ll move back home?” asked Scipio.

“I’m trying...” Franco started.

“You really think I’m going to fall for that?” asked Scipio.

“He’s too far gone, fratello,” said Antonio.

“Are you giving up on me as well, zio?” asked Scipio.

Prosper, Mosca, Riccio, Davide and Mike exchanged glances.

“I don’t think I’ve made it a secret that I think you need the military,” said Antonio.

“You haven’t since Silvio died,” Scipio spat.

“Bringing your dead brother into this now are you?” Antonio asked.

“Are you sure you want to bring Silvio into this?” asked Prosper.

“Not really, but it’s a way to draw them,” Scipio replied.

“What?” asked Antonio. “I can’t hear you.”

“He wasn’t talking to you!” Mike snapped.

“What a blatant lack of respect,” said Antonio.

“Yeah, well,” Scipio replied. “We all have our strong points.”

“You lack respect too, my son,” said Franco.

“You call me that again and I may go on a murder rampage,” Scipio hissed.

“Surely that’s going overboard,” said Dottore Massimo.

“I assure you, dottore,” said Scipio, avoiding the word ‘father’. “I was quite serious.”

“You really don’t know your son as well as you think you do,” said Prosper. “We do. We know how much Scipio cares about us and how little he cares for you.”

“Scipio?” asked Dottore Massimo. “Is this the truth?”

“I have some truly great friends in these people. Prosper is telling the truth...” Scipio paused. “And another thing,” Scipio added. “He didn’t turn me gay.”

The shock of this simple statement caused utter chaos. Franco and Antonio Massimo gasped, Davide, Riccio and Mosca and Mike cheered and Scipio met Prosper’s eyes.

“You can do this,” Prosper whispered. Scipio nodded in understanding.

“What was that?” Dottore Massimo demanded. “Were you whispering voodoo in my son’s ear?”

“Of course not!” Scipio snapped.

He had had it with his family’s philosophy on gays. The rumors had probably damaged his father permanently, but in Scipio’s mind Dottore Massimo was completely deserving of it. His views on many topics were ridiculous and old-fashioned to put it nicely, though a few choice words were currently running through his mind. “Unlike you, he was being nice! I have nothing but contempt for you now! I’m not going back to the house they’re my home now! I don’t ever want to be a part of your world ever again!”

“He’s right you know,” said Prosper. “You’re never been anything but nice.”

“I’ll thank you to not talk that way how I raised my son,” said Dottore Massimo.

“I’ll thank you to stop insulting your son,” said Prosper. “He doesn’t deserve it.”

“I think I’ll rule what my son deserves. I have no idea who you are except that you’re the one who turned my son gay.”

“He did nothing of the sort,” Scipio objected.

“Oh, but he did,” said Dottore Massimo. “And you can’t deny it.”

“I can because it’s not true,” Scipio replied.

“You dare defy me?” Dottore Massimo questioned. “Are you sure you want to defy me? It’s dangerous, Scipio. I don’t think you truly want to.”

“I’ve done it before.” Scipio’s eyes blazed with fire. “I’ll go it again. I don’t care what happens. I’m not going to stop defying you. It feels good.”

“I’ll...” Dottore Massimo started.

“No!” Scipio snapped. “For sixteen years I dealt with your shit. I dealt with you blaming me for the accident with Silvio.” Dottore Massimo flinched at the name of his oldest son. “None of the events that day were my fault. It was the stupidity of the guys who ran into us. I don’t know why I’m not gay, but don’t blame Prosper for that. I don’t want a military career, why can’t you see that?”

“It was good enough for me,” said Antonio.

“Antonio, lasciate che questo sia tra Scipio e Dottore Massimo,” said Davide. “Hanno bisogno d ottenere questo raddrizzato senza il nostro intervento.” Antonio glared at Davide and left the room.

“I don’t care if I’ve damaged our family with this shit!” Scipio snapped.

“But I do,” said Dottore Massimo.

“Of course you do,” said Scipio. “You care because suddenly whatever I do is wrong. You don’t care about me anymore, I know that. I don’t care if you never speak to me again, but I’m done. If you want something from me, I’ll be at the Stella.” A gasp rippled through the room. Prosper, Riccio, Mosca, Mike and Davide all knew where Scipio was going with this. “Have fun trying to find it because it’s now grown over with vines and in horrible disarray. You told me to fight my own battles, to not let others do it for me. You’ve never understood me. Ever since Silvio was killed, you’ve thought you could turn me into him. I need to tell you something and I need to make it clear to you. You can’t turn me into Silvio. We always were very different people. You just never made time to take notice of the differences. Silvio would’ve done what you wanted without ever questioning it. But that’s not who I am and you will never succeed in turning me into that.”

“I could if I wanted to.”

“You couldn’t make your son obey you if you tried!” Prosper snapped.

“You! Keep quiet!” Dottore Massimo snapped.

“No!” Scipio snapped. “He has every right to speak his mind! It’s one thing to control me, but it’s completely different when you start turning on my friends. Don’t try to control them.”

“Oh, I could,” said Dottore Massimo. “I’m just choosing to stop.”

“You’ll never stop,” said Scipio. “You haven’t stopped since Silvio died.” Scipio had slashed another hole in the shroud Dottore Massimo had wrapped around himself after Silvio’s death.

“And you’re throwing that out there again?” asked Dottore Massimo.

“You thought I wouldn’t, didn’t you? You thought I would just let all this stuff go.”

“I thought you would continue obeying me.”

“I’m done obeying you I was done with you from the second you hit me right after Silvio died!”

“You aren’t going to get your heir back, dottore,” said Prosper. It took a lot of concentration to add Franco’s title onto the end of his words. “He doesn’t want to live with you ever again. In fact, he wants nothing to do with you, your house or your family for the rest of his life. We’re his family now.”

***

Dottore Massimo glared at Scipio and his friends. Unfortunately for him, his son had brought the heirs of the wealthiest families in Venice besides himself. Davide Ricci and Michele Greco, who had insisted on being called ‘Mike’ ever since his return from America for reasons Dottore Massimo still didn’t understand. He shared a glance with Davide who was glaring at the group just as coldly. For a second, the two locked eyes with Scipio. Ice radiated out from Scipio’s core reaching to burn Franco and Antonio Massimo with cold.

The two sides glared. The wind blew off the lagoon and through the island. Each refused to speak with any sort of logic to the other and it looked like everything they’d worked for since Scipio had escaped might have been for nothing. But the side of the children was made up of the strongest heirs in society and some very obstinate orphans who were determined to let their friend have his way in the battle that was about to set where it would all begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:
> 
> Siete tornati? - Are you back?
> 
> Sì. Perchè sei tornato, Morosina? Non c’è niente por voi qui. - Yes. Why did you come back, Morosina? There's nothing for you here
> 
> C’è qualcosa qui perme, Scipio - There is someone here for me, Scipio
> 
> E chi sarebbe? - And who would that be?
> 
> Che sei tu? - Who are you?
> 
> Conte Renzo, Perdona mi. Lo sono Michele Greco. Ma vi prego di non chiamari così. Mike è quello che me rivolgo a. Se avele il coraggio mi chiami Michele, sentirai la mia ira. Questi sono I miei amici, Davide Ricci, Hornet Grimani, Mosca Lepore e Riccio La Corte. Siamo anche amici di Scipio Fortunato e Prosper Nedermann. Noi abbiamo la legge dalla nostra parte, Conte Renzo. - Conte Renzo. Pardon me. I am Michele Greco. But please don't call me that. Mike is what I prefer. If you dare call me 'Michele', you will feel my wrath. These are my friends Davide Ricci, Hornet Grimani, Mosca Lepore and Riccio La Corte. We are friends of Scipio Fortunato and Prosper Nedermann. We have the law on our side, Conte Renzo.
> 
> Antonio, lasciate che questo sia tra Scipio e Dottore Massimo. Hanno bisogno d ottenere questo raddrizzato senza il nostro intervento. - Antonio, let this be between Scipio and Dottore Massimo. They need to get this straightened out without our intervention


	15. Chapter Fifteen

The anger was still spiraling out of control. It was coursing through veins and mixing with blood. It was a blackness that Scipio didn’t think would ever disappear completely. He could feel the blackness in his heart. He had a hard time remembering that, it would eventually subside. He thought he might stay this angry at his father and uncle forever. It wasn’t like he’d never had courage, but the second Hornet, Riccio and Mosca had appeared in his life, the level had been lifted. The same had held true for his hatred. He had never seen his father’s treatment of Silvio as good. In fact, he had no idea how Silvio had dealt with it as long as he had.

He had known that his father had abused Silvio for at least five years before the accident that had ended Silvio’s life and had nearly ended Scipio’s as well. After the accident, Scipio had tried to end his own life, but that was before Riccio tried to steal from him. He realized that as bad as the abuse got, at least after he got abused, he had a warm, mostly soft place to sleep after. After that, he had never tried it again and he hadn’t told anyone except Prosper that he had tried to commit suicide. It was a part of his past that he didn’t want everyone knowing. At the time, he’d been ashamed, but the second Prosper knew what he’d done, Prosper was there for him and that felt good. When he’d found Prosper and Bo, he was fresh off trying to slash himself again, but when he saw Prosper and Bo in trouble, he’d forgotten all about it. He’s thrown the knife into the street without a second thought and was after them with only one thing on his brain.

That was also the first time he’d tried to commit to stopping. Just days later, Prosper had found him passed out and bleeding on the floor. Now, Scipio knew that all that was in the past. He wasn’t proud of all the harm he’d done to his body. Between him and his father, Scipio was semi-surprised he was still alive.

***

Mosca Lepore stood on the roof of the Stella. The breeze whipped through his clothes off the canal. Summertime had returned to Venice and with it, Mosca’s want to never want to be inside.

“Mosca?” Mosca turned. It was Scipio. “Stealing my spot?”

“No, I came up here to think.”

“About what?”

“Us.” Scipio looked at Mosca in surprise.

“I’m not going to blame you, Mosca,” said Scipio. “I shouldn’t have lied to you.”

“But I didn’t take it well.”

“That wasn’t your fault.”

“It wasn’t yours either. Don’t let this rip us apart again.”

“I’m trying to not let it get to me. You have no idea how hard my life was before I met you.”

“Prosper told us bits. It sounded horrible,” Mosca replied. He paused and looked directly at Scipio. “Just tell me one thing, Scip, was everything Prosper told us true?”

Scipio sighed. He should’ve known this was coming, especially from Mosca. “Yes. I don’t know what Prosper told you, but whatever he told you, it’s the truth.”

“So as soon as your brother was killed, your father turned on you?”

“Yes. As soon as that accident happened and Silvio died, I was blamed and Franco Massimo turned on his son. He had been doing the same thing to Silvio. I never figured out how Silvio dealt with it. I don’t know how he didn’t go crazy or run away. I had to run away. I was getting sick of it, plus Prosper forbade it and at the time I wasn’t in a position to argue. Prosper really is forceful when he knows what he wants.”

“I know, I’ve been on the receiving end of Prosper’s anger move than once.”

“Not a good place to be is it?”

The next second, the peacefulness of the rooftop was disturbed as Prosper, Riccio, Hornet, Davide and Mike joined them.

“So that’s where you two went,” said Hornet.

“What’s going on?” said Riccio.

“I just wanted to confirm that what Prosper told us was the truth,” said Mosca.

“And?” asked Riccio.

“It’s the truth,” said Scipio.

Riccio and Hornet looked at Scipio in shock.

“Oh my god,” Hornet whispered.

“So that’s how you ended up here?” asked Riccio.

“He had the right,” said Davide.

“You all have the right to know the truth.” It was Scipio. Prosper looked at him and saw fear steaming far underneath. “The second I came home from the accident, I still couldn’t believe Silvio was dead. I don’t know how I got home, but I managed it. He never stopped blaming me for it.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” Prosper whispered.

“I know, but he tried to drill it into my head for two years. And I keep seeing that boat crash into us...” Scipio looked away from the group of people who had gathered around himself and Mosca. He kept his gaze obstinately on the canal that swirled its murky flood past the back of the Stella. That canal was one of the reasons why the Stella was a movie theater and not one for live performances.

The group pulled away from Scipio and gathered in their own circle. For a few seconds they didn’t speak, they just watched Scipio. He was gazing out at the city and into the murky water below. For a second, Prosper thought that Scipio was going to throw himself from the rooftop. At the last second, Scipio drew back, he turned, facing his friends. They thought he was going to join them, but he sank onto the battered couch that was on the rooftop for reasons unknown to the group of teens.

Instantly, Prosper was beside him. “Hey, it’s okay. You don’t have to be ashamed of the things you did. We all have secrets.” He laid a hand on Scipio’s shoulder. “You’ve been so brave through this. There are people who would’ve died by now, but they didn’t have us.”

Scipio met Prosper’s eyes. For a second, Scipio saw a flash of himself in Prosper. Prosper’s eyes blazed with a fury that Scipio knew himself to only show in the vicinity of his father. “I know.”

***

It was later that night when Prosper took Mosca’s baseball bat and silently crept from the Stella, a plan fully formed in his mind. He rushed through the silent streets of Venice. Halfway to 223 Fondamenta Bollani, reality came crashing down. He realized his plan wasn’t going to benefit anyone least of all himself and Scipio. If Franco Massimo survived the attack, then both he and Scipio would be at his mercy and Scipio had already endured two years of his insults and beatings. Prosper was not about to allow Franco Massimo anywhere near Scipio again. Even if it was a consequence of Prosper possibly seriously injuring the one who had inflicted all this on Scipio and blamed Scipio for things beyond Scipio’s control. Prosper never expected to understand what went through Franco Massimo’s head and he very much doubted if he actually wanted to know. Franco Massimo was, in Prosper’s mind, a sick twisted bastard who didn’t deserve anything good out of life. Prosper swore that he was going to make Franco Massimo’s life a living hell. Or as much of a living hell as he could with Dottore Massimo on the prowl.

Prosper dropped the makeshift weapon and sank against the wall. The same thing had happened when the truth about Scipio had come out. He’d acted out of anger and had run away, never giving Scipio time to explain his reasoning behind why he had lied to them for months.

“Prosper?” He raised his head. Scipio was kneeling next to him. A shiver ran down Prosper’s spine. “Are you...?”

“I’m not okay,” Prosper interrupted. Scipio grabbed Prosper in a hug.

“I’m just thankful you came to your senses,” said Scipio. He released Prosper and wrapped the boy in the blanket he was carrying.

“What did I do to deserve you?” Prosper muttered.

“We were just in the right place at the right time,” Scipio replied, pulling Prosper into another hug. “You did do something to deserve me. You saved me from a place that I haven’t been happy in for four years. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could survive there without going crazy.”

“I thought it was the right thing to do.”

“And it was, I’m not saying it was wrong. What you were going to do tonight was wrong.”

“I wasn’t thinking.”

“I’m not blaming you. We all do things we’re not proud of.”

“I shouldn’t have,” Prosper paused. “What if I had actually done it?”

“Don’t think like that, Prop,” Scipio whispered, pulling Prosper into a kiss. “I don’t want to think about what he would’ve done to you. He’s already pissed about me, I don’t want him to start on you too.”

“I just freaked out. I didn’t know how to react,” Prosper sighed. “I guess my reaction wasn’t the best it could’ve been, but...”

“You don’t need to explain anything to me, Prop.”

***

“Do you know what happened with him?” The second Scipio got Prosper comfy on one of the couches, the rest of the group lodging at the Stella began asking questions.

“He just lost if for a couple seconds,” said Scipio, throwing his sweatshirt over the back of the couch and curling up next to Prosper.

“Do you want to talk about it?” asked Mike.

“I don’t know what to think anymore,” Scipio replied. “I thought I had Prosper figured out, but there’s so much more to him than I originally thought.”

“You’re more than the stupid rich boy we thought you were,” said Mosca.

“Thanks for that,” sighed Scipio.

“I didn’t mean it like that, Scip,” said Mosca.

“I know you didn’t,” said Scipio. His words were barely under his control anymore. “We’ve all done things that we wish we could take back.”

“You’ve said that so many times,” said Riccio. “I know, but I feel like I want to take back everything I’ve said or done.”

“No,” Prosper mumbled.

Scipio smiled and ruffled Prosper’s hair out of his eyes. “I knew you would say that.”

“Are you going back to Casa Massimo?” Davide questioned.

“I thought we’ve been through this already,” said Hornet.

“We have,” said Scipio. “And I definitely know my answer. I’m not going back to that house. Not ever. Besides, Prop would probably murder me if I tried.”

“But he tried,” said Mike.

“It wasn’t a social visit,” said Scipio. “He was going there to kill him for me.”

“Whatever happened to Ida and Victor?” asked Hornet.

“Where did that come from?” asked Riccio.

“Who are ‘Ida’ and ‘Victor’ anyway?” asked Davide.

“Ida Spavento and Victor Getz,” said Mosca. “Ida was the owner of the wing from the merry-go-round. We met her when we were in the middle of stealing it.”

“Not one of my more successful raids,” Scipio muttered.

“Victor was tracking Prosper and Bo,” continued Mosca, ignoring Scipio’s interruption. “Their aunt and uncle had ordered Victor to find them.”

“We may have locked him in a bathroom,” Scipio mumbled.

***

_Scipio leapt out from behind the curtain at Victor. Beside him, Prosper, Riccio, Mosca and Hornet tied up and wrapped him in a canvas Riccio had found backstage._

_“What are you doing to me?” Victor snapped. He was one of the best detectives in Venice and he just been brought down by a group of teens. Scipio moved in. Victor recognized the boy facing him as the son of Dottore Massimo. “You!”_

_Scipio stuffed a filthy rag into the detective’s moth. “That will teach you to cross swords with the Thief Lord.” Scipio turned away from their captive. “What are we going to do with him?”_

_“Shouldn’t he question him first?” asked Riccio._

_“Why? He’ll just tell us lies like all grown-ups go,” said Scipio._

_“He’s the reason!” Prosper snapped. “He was tracking me. This is the same man as Riccio and I saw when we went to Barbarossa’s.”_

_“Perhaps we should throw him in the canal then,” suggested Riccio._

_“No!” yelled Victor through the rag._

_Scipio whirled on Victor. “You will be civil and quiet!” He snapped, then turned to the others. “No, we won’t throw him in the canal, just lock him in the men’s room.”_

***

“Scipio? Scipio!” It was Davide.

“What?” Scipio felt someone shake him out of his reverie.

“Are you okay?” Davide was sitting on the arm of the couch, worry etched on his face.

“Yeah, I was just remembering the day we caught Victor.”

“That was a good day,” said Riccio, from his place by the table where he was straddling a chair.

“It was fun,” commented Hornet.

“You were the best though,” said Mosca, nodding to Scipio.

“He recognized me,” said Scipio. “What was I supposed to do?”

“He recognized you?” asked Prosper. “From what?”

“He visited my father. He wanted to look around the Stella.” Gasps rippled through the room at these words. “I didn’t know he was there, so I walked into the study where Victor was meeting with my father. He saw me, and I tried to run. That’s when I ran to the Stella. That’s when I warned you.”

“And that’s when we had the argument about what to do with him,” Riccio sighed.

“If you think I’m still blaming you for that, you can stop,” said Scipio.

“I’m not...” Riccio started.

“Yes, you are,” said Mosca, stepping in.

“Stop worrying about it,” Scipio advised. “I stopped worrying about soon after it happened.”

“I...” Riccio started.

“Stop it,” said Scipio, firmly. “Stop blaming yourself. You have no right to blame yourself for this. I have more reason.”

“No, you don’t.” Riccio rose from his chair, perching on the back of the couch.

“What’s going on?” the murmur came from Prosper, who still half-asleep and looked as if he were suffering from hypothermia.

“Nothing,” Scipio replied.

“Tell me,” Prosper’s voice was firm.

“We were just talking about the days when you didn’t know who I really was,” said Scipio.

“Maybe I liked it better that way,” Prosper muttered.

“I hid so much from you, how can you want to go back?” asked Scipio. “I don’t want to. I hated keeping so much from you.” Scipio took his gaze off Prosper, and looked around the group. “I never intended to keep the secret for so long.”

“Why didn’t you tell us everything?” asked Mike

“I guess I thought you wouldn’t be so accepting of it,” said Scipio.

“What made you think we wouldn’t accept you?” Hornet asked.

“I didn’t know, but I thought your reactions would be like Riccio’s initial reaction, but I didn’t think you’d get over it,” Scipio replied.

Prosper sighed. “I never thought about that. I’m sorry I ran when you first told me. It was a shock and I didn’t know what happened.”

“I told you the truth that night, Prop,” said Scipio. “I was going to tell you anyway.”

“I know you would’ve,” Prosper replied. “I’m not blaming you for any of it. I know you would’ve told us when you were ready.”

“Blame Victor,” said Mosca. “He’s the one who told us about you.”

“That little snoop!” Davide burst out.

“You don’t know the entire story,” said Hornet.

“And trust us, you don’t want to know,” said Riccio. “It sucked.”

“What happened?” asked Davide.

“What sucked?” asked Mike.

“Finding out the person who had provided for you for two years was a liar,” Riccio muttered.

“I’ll tell you the full story later,” said Scipio.

“We were stupid,” said Mosca. “We should’ve believed you in the first place.”

“You were telling the truth, Scip,” said Hornet. “What went on in that place was awful. We had no right to think you’d been lying.”

“You had every right to have your opinions,” said Scipio. “I’m not going to take that right away from you.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” said Riccio. “It was us. We were being stupid.”

“You all had your own ideas,” said Davide. “Scip was just trying to do what he thought was best.”

“Look,” said Scipio. “At the time, I thought I was doing the right thing. I thought I was helping you by keeping the truth from you. You were my escape. I didn’t want to lose that.”

“Maybe you were right to keep the truth from us,” muttered Prosper.

“I still think I was,” Scipio muttered in return.

“Of course you were, you didn’t want us to know until you had made the decision to tell us yourself,” said Prosper. “I would’ve respected that until you had chosen to tell us of your own free will.”

“Thanks,” said Scipio.

“And we would’ve eventually,” said Hornet.

“You had already told me and Carlo,” said Davide.

“Don’t even mention my brother,” Mike muttered.

“How did you hear?” Davide asked.

“I overheard you and Carlo talking,” Mike admitted. He looked over at Scipio, who looked like he might commit murder. “I wouldn’t have told anyone. I never told my parents and Davide and Carlo never knew I knew and that it was from them that I’d heard it.”


	16. Chapter Sixteen

After the conversation had gone late, everyone slept in. When they woke, it was to Davide, Prosper, Scipio and Mike cooking waffles. Riccio ran into the kitchen from the loft he shared with Mosca.

“Waffles! Waffles! Waffles!” Riccio screamed.

“Waffles?” asked Mosca, sticking his head over the railing. Riccio was already downstairs.

“Yes!” Riccio called up. “Get down here!”

“There are going to be plenty,” said Hornet. “No need to rush.” But Hornet was in sync with Mosca, meeting Riccio at the same time.

Within seconds, Riccio, Hornet and Mosca were surrounding the kitchen, forcing Mike to force them out of the kitchen before Davide, Prosper or Scipio threw batter at them.

“Out!” said Davide.

“We will throw this,” said Prosper.

“I really don’t think you want to get batter all over you,” said Scipio.

“How do you know?” asked Riccio.

“Stop being stubborn,” said Scipio.

“We’re not being stubborn, we’re stating fact,” said Hornet.

Prosper began looking through the fridge. “There’s all sorts of rotten stuff in here, guys.”

“Food fight!” screamed Riccio.

“After breakfast,” Mike ordered, flipping a waffle from the waffle iron to a plate. The waffle iron had been a gift to the Stella from Davide’s parents.

Prosper and Scipio sorted through the food in the fridge, while Davide and Mike finished up with the waffle making. Scipio also took on the secondary duty of keeping Riccio, Mosca and Bo out of the kitchen. Technically, it was Hornet’s job, but she’d gone outside to get some air.

“Stay out of here, Bo. We’re not eating ‘til Hornet comes back,” said Scipio. Bo grumbled a compliant, but knew not to vocalize it any louder.

When Hornet returned, strands of her hair were hanging about her face. She walked directly into the kitchen where everyone was.

“Thank God, you’re here,” said Scipio, taking notice of her. “Keep Riccio, Mosca and Bo out of the kitchen will you?”

“What’s going on?” asked Hornet.

“Waffles,” said Riccio.

“I’m confused,” said Hornet. She looked pointedly at Prosper.

“We’re making waffles for breakfast,” said Prosper.

“Wow, an actual breakfast, I’m impressed,” said Hornet.

“I told you Father’s gift would be useful,” said Davide. “You didn’t believe me.”

“We didn’t think we’d ever actually make waffles,” said Mosca, eyeing Mike who had given his spot at the waffle iron to Scipio and was taking waffles out of the oven. Prosper was leaning against the counter, talking, while Davide helped Scipio make waffles.

The smell of fresh waffles filled the Stella, intoxicating the group. As the last of the waffles came out of the waffle iron, Hornet and Bo set the table and as Davide and Mike brought out waffles, syrup, juice, fruit and potatoes. The rest of them gathered around.

For a few minutes there was the general chatter of a group of friends gathering.

“This is delicious,” said Hornet.

“Mmmmm...” said Riccio, mouth full of waffle.

“Did you doubt my cooking abilities, Riccio?” asked Scipio.

“Never,” said Riccio, through another mouth full of waffle.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” directed Hornet.

“Stop spraying me with waffle,” directed Bo.

“You’re not the first to doubt Scipio’s cooking abilities,” Mike whispered to Riccio, as he slid into his seat next to Davide.

“And you were,” said Scipio, glaring at Mike.

“Hey, it was burnt toast,” insisted Mike.

“Our toaster either burnt toast or barely toasted it at all,” said Scipio. “It was the toaster not me.”

“You proved yourself with this,” said Prosper. “They’re really good.”

“We really should do this more often,” said Riccio.

“It’s food, Riccio,” said Mosca, twirling his fork. “You’d eat it even if it came out of the garbage.”

“If you haven’t forgotten you used to eat out of the garbage,” said Hornet, stabbing a bite of waffle with her fork.

“And it was good,” said Riccio. Hornet rolled her eyes and returned to her waffles.

***

Water was spraying from the faucet all over the kitchen. Droplets arched through the air. Scipio kept his hand on the sprayer and the nosel pointed at Prosper. Prosper dodged the spray and turned the sprayer back on Scipio. Scipio and Prosper got lost in the shuffle with the sprayer. Soap was being flicked back and forth, creating a lake of soapy water on the floor. By the time the others found them, the liquid was not only covering a good portion of the kitchen, but Scipio and Prosper as well.

“What happened in here?” asked Hornet.

“A water fight,” Scipio replied.

“Well, clean it up when you’re done,” said Hornet.

“Of course,” said Scipio. Prosper flicked a spot of soap off the counter at Hornet.

“Don’t,” Hornet ordered.

“Too late,” Scipio replied, flicking more soap in Hornet’s direction.

Hornet casually flicked the soap in front of her, sending it across the table. It sprayed Davide in the face. Davide wiped the soap from his face, grabbed a clump and threw it at Mike, who ducked. The clump hit Mike in the back of the head, spraying it across his hair. Mike whirled, lobbing soap at Davide, but missed. It hit the wall above Riccio’s head. Soap ran down the wall, dripping into Riccio’s spikes.

“I’ll get you back for that,” Riccio hissed, grabbing his own clump of soap.

The air was soon thick with flying soap. Foam covered the kitchen. Every time someone threw a wad in Hornet’s direction, she screamed. Her screams became more piercing as time went on.

“Stop being such a baby,” said Riccio, throwing another wad. Hornet shrieked and retaliated. A wad flew from her hand, but her aim was terrible. It flew past Riccio, it hit Davide in the back. Davide whirled, the empty syrup pitcher in his hand. The next second, the pitcher was flying across the room. It smashed into the wall next to Mosca.

“Stop throwing dishes,” said Hornet. “I’m going upstairs to take a shower and when I come back, the kitchen better not be covered with broken pottery as well.”

“We’ll keep an eye on them,” said Prosper, indicating himself, Davide, Mike and Scipio.

“You seriously think I’m going to believe you?” asked Hornet.

“Would you believe it anymore if I had been the one to tell you?” Mike asked.

Hornet considered that for a second. “Probably not.”

“There you go,” Mike replied. Shaking her head, Hornet left the kitchen. There were things that were minuses about living with seven boys, and one of them was the constant fights involving food, water and soap.

***

_“Why did you kill me?” Scipio looked around. He was in the courtyard on the Isola Segreta. Standing before him, wearing the clothes he’d been wearing when Scipio had plunged the dagger into his heart, was Carlo Greco._

_“Get out of my mind!” Scipio screamed._

_“Don’t you get it, Scipio?” asked Carlo “I never deserved to die.”_

_“What about all the things you said to me? Everything you called me?”_

_“I never meant any of that.”_

_“You really expect me to believe that?”_

_“Of course I do,” said Carlo. “You’re my friend aren’t you?”_

_“No, you’re not,” Scipio replied. “I haven’t counted you among my friends for awhile now.”_

_“Give me another chance.”_

_“I don’t think I can.”_

_“What’s going on, with you, Scipio? We’ve been friends forever.”_

_“Do you remember when you weren’t okay with me and Prosper being together? I don’t know if I could ever accept you back into my life.”_

_“What if you could?”_

_“I don’t think it’s ever going to happen.”_

_“But what if...”_

_“That will never happen!”_

_“How do you know?”_

_“I know what you are like, Carlo,” Scipio replied. “I’ve always known. I’ve known since I met you that our friendship wouldn’t last.”_

_“What about Mike?”_

_“He offered his help. I didn’t want to refuse?”_

_“Oh, so you take your friend’s brother over your friend?”_

_“It’s different than what you are trying to make it out to be. I no longer count you among my friends, Carlo. My memories of you, those I can’t erase, but the memory of you that I see most clearly is me calling you a homophobic bastard.”_

_Scipio felt his friends calling to him. Pulling him back into reality. He knew they only did it when he was screaming or he was scaring them._

_“I don’t know how I was ever your friend? I don’t know why you didn’t tell me. Why didn’t you?”_

_The voices of his friends disappeared and Carlo’s voice became his focus once more._

_“I don’t know why I didn’t break off our friendship sooner!”_

_“But I do,” Carlo hissed._

_“Don’t tell me,” Scipio hissed in return. “I don’t want to hear the lies that would come out of your mouth!”_

_“That’s the thing, Scipio,” said Carlo. “They aren’t lies. I’m telling you the truth...”_

_“Keep right on talking,” said Scipio. “But I will never believe you.”_

_The whispers of his friends in the real world returned. They whispered his name. Scipio tried to break free, to return to them._

_“Don’t leave me!” Carlo gripped Scipio, forcing Scipio to stay in the dream world._

_“Get your filthy hands off me!” Scipio snapped. “I want nothing to do with you anymore!”_

_“I want you here with me.” “And I don’t want to be anywhere near you.”_

_Scipio threw Carlo off him. Carlo flew across the courtyard. The figure resembling Carlo Greco disappeared._

***

_“What’s going on?”_

_“How is he?”_

_“Is he going to be okay?”_

_“What happened?”_

_“Did you hear screaming?”_

_“No, it was weird, it wasn’t like usual.”_

_“It was almost like he was trying to fight something or someone off.”_

_“What do you think it was?”_

_“No idea.”_

_“I think I might.”_

“It was Carlo,” said Scipio.

The group gathered around Scipio’s bed, looking at Scipio in shock and horror.

“We killed him,” Davide whispered.

“I know,” Scipio whispered. “I don’t know how his spirit found me.”

“Don’t worry about it,” said Prosper. “I don’t want you to worry about any of this. Just relax.”

“Prop, I’m...” Scipio started.

“Don’t you dare tell me you’re fine, Scip,” said Prosper. “Part of your brain obviously still remembers what a great friend he was.”

“He betrayed me,” Scipio hissed.

“He betrayed us all,” said Mike. “He chose to side with my parents. I don’t know how he thought they were right.”

“He was going crazy,” said Riccio. “Towards the end...”

“Scip!” someone was screaming again. Everyone turned.

“Who screamed?” asked Riccio.

“Carlo,” Scipio muttered.

They looked at Scipio.

“How?” Davide asked.

“His spirit,” Scipio muttered.

“I don’t want you to think of this,” said Davide. “I want you to forget about him. He’s dead. He can never bother you again.

“What did he say?” asked Prosper. “He tried to make me believe you were lying and he was the one who was telling the truth.”

“You do know that he was lying to you, right?” Prosper asked.

“Yeah, I know, but it doesn’t change what he said, what he’s trying to do to me. It doesn’t change any of that.”

Prosper sighed. He had an idea of what was going through Scipio’s head. Carlo had gotten to him and through that, Scipio had started to doubt everyone in his life. “Scip, you’re going to be okay, right?”

“I think so,” said Scipio. “I know I should forget about Carlo. I know how he feels about what’s happened.”

“I want you to go back to sleep,” said Prosper. He looked over his shoulder at the rest of the group. “And I want all of you to get out!”

Everyone stepped back. Everyone that is except Davide and Mike, who knelt next to Prosper and Scipio.

“We can take care of him,” said Davide. “We’ve got him. He’s going to need you if he wakes up again. Take this moment, Prop and get some sleep.”

“Are you okay? Can I...?”

“Sleep, Prop,” Scipio whispered, before falling back.

“Wake me if he needs anything,” Prop whispered.

Davide and Mike nodded.

***

_“You’ve come back,” said Carlo. “Do you have you answer?”_

_“No!”_

_“Is that your answer or are you unready to give it?”_

_“That is my answer.”_

_“So you won’t join me?”_

_“Are you seriously asking me that after everything you’ve done to me?”_

_“Yes,” said Carlo. “The truth is that Mike was right. I was just following our parents.”_

_“I don’t trust you anymore, Carlo. I haven’t trusted you for a while. I don’t think I can trust you again. Your betrayal hurt, Carlo. I don’t think this is something we can just overcome. Don’t!” Scipio snapped. “I know that you want to try to put this past us, but I don’t think we can. There’s just too much stuff in our past that I don’t want to remember.”_

_“I can help you, Scip.”_

_“You lost the right to call me that the second you thought about me the way you do now. You’re afraid what I have with Prosper is going to rub off on you.”_

_“You’re right, I...”_

_“I never want to see you again! Stop coming into my dreams!”_

_Scipio shoved Carlo from his brain. A wild scream came from Carlo’s spirit. Then the spirit disappeared. In his sleep, Scipio sighed, rolled over and sunk deeper into sleep._

***

When Scipio was pulled out of sleep by Bo screaming for who knows what, he felt more rested than he had in days. For once no one was sitting around him. He threw the blankets aside and looked over the balcony. Everyone else was gathered in the main area. Hornet was nowhere to be seen. No doubt she’d gone to see what Bo wanted. Silently, Scipio grabbed the rope swung he and Prosper had rigged up soon after Prosper and Bo had come to the Stella. He leapt over the railing and slid to the ground.

“What’s going on?” Everyone flipped around. A ripple of gasps ran through the room. Scipio stood behind Riccio.

“We’re just trying to figure some details,” said Mosca.

“About what?” asked Scipio.

“Prop,” said Riccio.

Prosper sighed. He knew this would happen. He knew they would leave it to him to talk to Scipio about this, but whenever he started, he saw the boy Scipio had been on the way back from Isola Segreta. He never wanted to see that look on Scipio’s face ever again. “Come with me,” said Prosper.

Scipio followed Prosper up the stairs. The moment they were out of sight of the group, Scipio faced Prosper.

“All right, Prop,” said Scipio. “Tell me what’s going on.”

“We’re worried about you,” said Prosper. “That’s what this is about. These past few months haven’t been easy for any of us.”

“You don’t have to do this,” said Scipio.

“Yes, I do,” said Prosper. “They’re worried about you, but I want to know what’s going on.”

“Okay,” said Scipio.

“What?”

“I’ll tell you,” Prosper looked at Scipio. Whatever he’d been expecting, it hadn’t been that. “It’s Carlo. He’s been coming into my dreams and asking me to come with me. I don’t want to.” Prosper kept his gaze on Scipio. “He doesn’t believe me. He thinks that we’re still friends. He thinks the whole fight never even happened, but I don’t think I can take him back, Prop. I don’t think can and even if I could, I wouldn’t want to.”

“You don’t have to forgive him.”

“I’m scared he’s going to force me to forgive him.”

“He can’t force you to do anything.”

“Doesn’t mean I can’t be scared of him.”

“You can’t let him have that power over you.”

“I can’t stop him, Prop.”

“You have to. Fight against him. You know what he did to you. Do you really want a person like that to have control over you like that?”

“I...”

“Start fighting.” Rarely did Prosper get so commanding, but when he did, whoever was on the receiving end, had better not disobey.

“Okay, I don’t know if I can do this but I’m willing to try.”

“We’re all going to be here for you. You’re just going to have to learn to accept that you have some really great friends who don’t want you to fail.”

***

Scipio sighed. He’d known from the second Carlo had come to visit him in his dream that he wouldn’t be able to keep the secret forever. Sooner or later he’d known his friends, especially Prosper, would weddle it out of him. He had thought; however, that he might have been able to keep it from people a little longer. Thanks to Prosper and the fact that with some things he knew Scipio better than Scipio knew himself, he hadn’t. The secret was out though, there was nothing he could do about it.

The canal rolled softly through the darkness. It sloshed against the building. He thought about the times when that canal had been his lifeline to the outside world. The house he’d grown up in had been his prison. Now that he was out of there, he didn’t know how he’d lived there for sixteen years.

“Scip?” It was Prop. No doubt the others were worried.

“What is it?” said Scipio. “Have the others decided they care again?”

“Scipio, they’ve always cared.”

“Have you forgotten the argument?”

“I thought we were past that. In any case, we’re not angry with you.” Prosper forced Scipio to look at him. “Why do you run from everything?”

“Not everything, just things I don’t like dealing with.”

“Is there a reason you don’t let people help?”

“I just got so used to dealing with things on my own.”

“How many times do I have to tell you, you’re not alone anymore. You have me, you have the rest of them in there, too.”

“I know that, but I still don’t tell you guys certain times.”

“I hate not knowing things. I hate being powerless to help you.”

“How did our lives get so messed up, Prop?”

“We’re orphans and you might as well be.”

“I wish I was,” Scipio muttered.

“Why would you want that? Parts of it suck.”

“Maybe I managed to not have the suckage.”

“Maybe, but I doubt it.”

“Yeah, somehow I doubt that too. Our lives seem to go in circles, and there seems to be more bad than good.”

“I’d like to think that the bad will eventually go away.”

“Knowing our lives, Prop, I don’t think we’re going to get that. I don’t think the bad is ever going to completely go away.”


	17. Chapter Seventeen

_Carlo Greco slid out of the dreams of Scipio Massimo for the final time._

***

Surprisingly, falling asleep by a canal on concrete wasn’t as uncomfortable as Scipio had originally thought. Or maybe it was because he’d been depriving himself of sleep the last few nights and he’d let it get to the point where he could lie down anywhere and fall asleep. Scipio shifted, nearly falling into the canal. He opened the back door and slid into the Stella. No one was awake yet, so he crept to the top balcony and settled into the nest of blankets he and Prosper had created on the floor.

***

When the light began shining in, turning the wall to bright gold, everyone except for Scipio started shifting. Prosper rolled over. Relief settled over him when he saw Scipio was asleep. Since their conversations a few days before, Scipio had barely gotten any sleep at all. Now, Prosper hesitated waking him up. Prosper ran his fingers through Scipio’s hair. Scipio’s hand fluttered up touching Prosper’s cheek. The next second, Prosper and Scipio had seemingly melted together.

Davide had thought about seeing how Scipio was faring. He had no idea that Scipio had fallen asleep next to the canal and had slept most of the night. Davide had heard the noises from the second balcony and had thought better of it. Instead, he’d opted to join Hornet, Riccio, Mosca and Mike downstairs in the kitchen.

“What’s going on up there?” asked Mike.

“Prosper and Scipio are doing it again,” Davide replied.

“How did Scipio look?” asked Hornet.

“I thought I’d leave them to it,” said Davide. “I really didn’t want to walk in on that.”

“Good planning,” said Riccio.

“We can get them later,” said Mike. “We should let them have some time alone.”

“You really think that’s a good idea?” asked Riccio.

“It’ll be good for them,” said Mike. “I think they need it. Scipio’s been feeling ill for weeks.”

“Then shouldn’t we...” Hornet started.

“I’m just tired and feel like shit.”

The group turned. Standing behind them were Scipio and Prosper. Prosper had an arm around Scipio. It looked to the group like Prosper had to support Scipio.

“You really should be lying down,” said Davide.

“Here,” said Mosca. He stood, dragging Riccio with him. “Get up, you goof.” Mosca and Riccio sprawled on the floor, leaving Scipio and Prosper to curl up on the couch.

“You think it’s going to be okay?” Mosca asked.

“Don’t you have any faith in us working this out, Mosca?” asked Prosper.

“It just seems like from the second Scipio came here, he’s been hurt or ill.”

“Blame my father,” Scipio muttered.

“If he can even rightly be called that,” said Davide.

“I think it’s fair to say that all of us have had a difficult life or one reason or another,” said Hornet.

“Speak for yourselves,” said Davide. “My life’s been...” Davide stopped talking abruptly. Scipio thought he knew what that was about. He knew that Davide’s mind had suddenly turned to Carlo. Even though they hadn’t been speaking, Scipio knew what was going on in Davide’s head, or so he thought.

“Don’t water down your time and brain power thinking about Carlo,” said Scipio. “He hasn’t deserved it since he turned against us.” Davide nodded. He knew Scipio was right, but when his mind turned to Carlo, he had a hard time turning his mind away from the boy who had betrayed the friends he’d once held in the highest regard.

“Want me to heat up the waffles?” asked Mike.

“And make more,” said Riccio. “Me and Mosca may have made some of them into a late night snack.”

“Great, you ate the breakfast, good going,” said Hornet.

“At the time they didn’t know,” said Davide. “Give them a break.”

“Come on, Davide, help me will you?” asked Mike. Davide followed Mike into the kitchen. He knew Mike had picked him to get him out.

As Mike and Davide worked to prepare breakfast, Hornet walked in. Her hair was normally braided, but now she wore it tied sloppily back off her face. Long strands of light brown hair hung down everywhere.

“Can I help?” Mike whirled around, dropping the eggs. Hornet glared. “I think I know what my first task is going to be.”

“No,” said Mike. “Riccio! Mosca!” Mosca’s dark head appeared around the door. “Go to the store. I just broke the eggs.”

“Blame me,” said Hornet.

“Do we have to?” It was Riccio. Forever the complainer of the bunch.

“Yes, now scat you two,” said Mike, forcing Riccio and Mosca from the kitchen.

“There’s not much we can do ‘til they get back,” said Davide.

“Then let’s go back to the living room,” said Hornet.

***

Scipio and Prosper were deep in a conversation of their own, when Davide, Hornet and Mike emerged from the kitchen.

“What was going on in there?” Prosper asked. “

The usual,” Davide replied.

“So you were breaking eggs on the floor?” Scipio asked. “I thought this was why we came up with the home in the first place so no one knew what we talking about,” said Davide.

“Well since Carlo’s out, I thought we’d spread it.”

“Do you have a problem with it?” Prosper asked.

“Nope,” was Davide’s reply.

“How did you create the phrase?” asked Hornet.

“It’s a long involved story that you don’t want to know,” said Scipio.

“Do you not want to tell me?” asked Hornet.

“What’s the big deal if he doesn’t want to tell you?” Prosper asked.

“I just don’t like being left out of things and living with all guys the past few years hasn’t been easy.”

As Hornet spoke she glanced at Prosper and Scipio. That was a dream. It was never going to happen. Prosper would never see her as more than a sister and usually she was quite happy about that. But there had been a moment, when Scipio had shown up at two o’clock in the morning, pulling Prosper and Bo with him. The two brothers had more problems than she herself had and she was glad to put aside her own problems for someone else’s, but it had consequences. She had grown to love Prosper as more than a brother, and it hadn’t stopped until recently.

“Life is supposed to have challenges,” said Prosper. “Just look at what happened to me before I come here, before Scipio found us.”

“I knew there was a reason I’d chosen to go that route that night,” said Scipio.

“It seems like Riccio and Mosca have been away for hours,” said Davide.

“It’s only been a few minutes,” said Mike.

“Yeah, well, it would feel longer to you,” said Prosper.

The door swung open. Riccio and Mosca walked in. Mosca held the box of eggs and Riccio held a bag of sweets. Davide and Mike swisked away the packages. Davide to start the waffles and Mike to hide the sweets until that night. Riccio and Mosca stood there for a long moment, looking after Davide and Mike.

“Come on, join us,” said Prosper. He knew that if he didn’t distract them, they would go in search of their chocolate. Riccio and Mosca slid into the chairs vacated by Davide and Mike.

***

It was one of the few times the group seemed like a family. The laughter. The chatter. The constant bickering. Riccio and Mosca having arguments about seemingly random things. The smell of freshly made waffles. This was what Prosper had imagined what a family should be like.

It shouldn’t be the crappy shithole of an orphanage he’d been forced to live in by Max and Esther Hartlieb. It shouldn’t be the grand home of the same Hartliebs where Bo had been pampered until Prosper had escaped from the orphanage and rescued Bo. Family had to be more than being related and besides the home he’d had before his parents had died, it was the first place that had left like home.

The Star Palace was sheltering all of them from something. For him and Bo, it was Esther and Max Hartlieb. He had never understood how his mother and Esther had grown up. Everything about the two of them was different. As far as Prosper was concerned Esther and his mother had been born to be polar opposites of one another. For Riccio, Mosca and Hornet, it gave them a place other than the ramshackle shelter in Castillo Scipio had found them in. Mosca’s father was still out at sea somewhere, but Mosca had never seen the need to find him since things had been working out better at the Star Palace. For Davide, it was a place where he didn’t have to be perfect. Signor Ricci and Dottore Massimo were similar in many ways. When it came to raising their sons, they had similar ideas for the boys to look up too and through this, Scipio and Davide had formed a strong bond. For Mike, it was a place where he could be himself. He’d never agreed with his parents, and he’d hoped that Carlo was going to follow his path. But the moment Carlo had ditched Scipio because Scipio was gay, Mike knew that Carlo was lost to him. And as for Scipio...well, Scipio had always been a mysterious figure lurking in the background of their lives. That had been Scipio’s role in the lives of the orphans. It was only when Prosper and Scipio were drawn together that night when the merry-go-round failed Scipio, did Prosper realize how little he knew about the one he considered to be his greatest friend.

Prosper realized that he was a part of one crazy happy family and that was enough for him... at least for now.

***

“If it’s possible these are even better than the last time,” said Riccio, through a mouthful of waffle.

“They are good,” Hornet commented, stabbing a piece of waffle with her fork.

“I’m pretty sure last time we didn’t have any of the problems we had this time,” said Davide. “

They startled me,” said Mike, gesturing with his head at Riccio and Mosca.

“It was an accident,” said Mosca, shoving his fork through a piece of waffle and spraying Riccio, Davide and Mike with syrup.

“Ugh... Mosca,” said Hornet. “Do you realize how long it takes to scrub that stuff off the table?”

“It’s...” Mosca started. Hornet sighed. She should’ve known Mosca would try to blame it on Riccio.

“We all saw you,” said Davide. “You definitely sprayed syrup everywhere.” There was a momentary pause where Mosca tried to correct Davide, but Davide broke in. “You sprayed it all over the table.”

“I didn’t mean to,” said Mosca.

“All the same, you’re on table washing duty,” said Hornet, grabbing another bite. “Fine, as long as I don’t have to do it all the time,” said Mosca.

As the group ate breakfast, the chatter subsided and the group began to spread out to do their morning activities. Mosca started scrubbing the table as Riccio, Davide and Mike cleared the table and washed dishes. Hornet left the guys to clean up the kitchen, and went upstairs to read, a favorite pastime that she just hadn’t had time for the last couple days. Prosper and Scipio had other ideas however. They were planning to sit outside on the bridge above the canal. The last time they’d made this decision, they’d both ended up in the canal. They hadn’t been back to the bridge since, but they wanted to get away from their friends, as much as they were grateful that everything finally seemed to be falling into place.

The attempts of Riccio, Mosca, Mike and Davide to clean the kitchen weren’t going well. All they had managed to do was make a mess of the kitchen. And by mess, it truly was a mess. Riccio had knocked over the flour, tripped over Mike’s foot and spilled the rest of the syrup out of the pitcher onto the floor.

“Mosca!” Hornet exclaimed.

“Sorry,” said Mike. “We don’t really have control over him.”

“I can see that,” said Hornet, glaring at the three boys. She edged past Riccio who was standing to the fridge. She popped it open and threw a gulp of cranberry juice down her throat.

“You should just get out of here,” said Davide. “Go paint your boat or something.”

“Want my help?” asked Riccio.

“Sure,” said Davide.

“I...” Mike started.

“Let them go,” said Hornet, looking after the two boys. “They’re not going to be of any help to us in here.”

“Us?” Mike asked.

“I thought I’d help you. I didn’t think Riccio and Mosca would last very long in the kitchen, and I was right.” Hornet grabbed the dish Riccio had discarded and began running it under the water Riccio had left running.

“You don’t have to do this you know,” said Davide.

“I know, but I also know I need a distraction. Prosper and Scipio are having a love fest and now we’ve let Riccio and Mosca go. I have no idea where they’ve got to,” said Hornet.

“Fair enough,” said Davide, and went to wipe cleaning fluid off the table. The table was still sticky, so it was obvious that Mosca hadn’t gotten very far when he’d wanted to get out. He sighed. He thought everyone who lived here was really caring, but he didn’t know how the others had lived with Riccio and Mosca for as long as they had. He’d only lived here a few weeks and Riccio and Mosca had probably driven him to the point of crazy, but the good things about living with this group of people quite simply outweighed bad.

***

Nothing unusual happened for the rest of the morning. No one saw Scipio or Prosper until they sat down at lunch, and then only briefly. As soon as possible, the two escaped back to their canal side retreat.

Prosper had been the one to discover it and he’d only shared it with Scipio. None of the others even knew it existed. Now, Scipio pushed the curtain of moss aside, allowing Prosper to slide through the gap. Scipio slid in beside Prosper, letting the moss curtain fall into place, hiding them from their friends. The canal sloshed up onto the banks of the canal again. It was amazing how different the canal sounded when it was sloshing against a safe place. A place Dottore Massimo would never think to look for his son.

According to the newspapers, Dottore Massimo has stopped searching for Scipio. Dottore Massimo had searched frantically for the first few weeks. That is, until his business ventures had gotten in the way. After Dottore Massimo had quit, Carmela Massimo had taken over. She’s hired Victor Getz to find Scipio. When Victor found Scipio, Scipio had ignored his mother’s plea for him to come home. Scipio hadn’t looked back since.

Scipio leaned back against the rock face. Over the past few months, Scipio had learned that the option of running away had always been there for him, and he’d had a place to go. He’d had a place ever since he’d planted Riccio, Mosca and Hornet in the Stella. Why hadn’t he taken the option before?

“Scip?” It was Prosper, dragging Scipio from his thoughts. “What is it?”

“Nothing,” Scipio replied. “Just thinking.”

“Scip, come on,” said Prosper. “You were looking distressed.”

“I’m questioning myself.”

“You should never do that,” said Prosper. “You shouldn’t question yourself. You have nothing to question yourself about.”

“If you’re telling me that, then you don’t really know me,” said Scipio. “You don’t know how long I wrestled with the idea of running away from it all. I think it was better the way I ended up doing it.”

“Are you aware of what you looked like that night, Scip? Are you aware of what flashed through my mind when I saw you like that?” Prosper laid a hand on Scipio’s arm. Scipio finally turned to face his boyfriend. “I was scared,” Prosper continued. “I was scared that you weren’t...”

“Don’t you dare think like that, Prop,” said Scipio, sternly. “I’m right here. I never to hear that about to come out of your mouth ever again.” Scipio pulled Prosper closer to him. “I’m right here, Prop,” he whispered. “I’m right here.”

“I know you are,” said Prosper, settling into Scipio’s lap. “You just scared me that night was all.”

“I don’t blame you for being scared,” said Scipio. “I don’t blame you at all. Put in your position, I would’ve been scared that night too.” Scipio paused, collecting his thoughts which were now swirling around his brain. “I really wasn’t with it that night, was I?”

“No, you weren’t,” replied Prosper. “You weren’t yourself for at least a week.”

“But you were there for me.”

“Of course I was, don’t think such nonsense. It should be outlawed for you to even think of such a thing.”

“I can’t help what I think,” said Scipio. He bent his head over Prosper’s and buried his face in Prosper’s curls. “How did I get so lucky?” He whispered.

“I have no idea,” Prosper whispered in reply, leaning more into Scipio than he already was.

“I love you, Prop,” Scipio murmured.

Prosper wasn’t startled. He turned around, facing Scipio. “I love you, too,” he said firmly. “And I will never doubt that.”

Scipio smiled. Prosper began to pull him into a kiss. Unlike the first time, Scipio was completely willing now. He let Prosper kiss him. He knew it was what Prosper needed. Prosper leaned Scipio back onto the moss-covered floor. The moss poked Scipio in the head, but he didn’t notice. His fingers laced through Prosper’s curls, brushing them out of his eyes.

Prosper pulled away. “Don’t,” Scipio muttered, rolling into a sitting position and pushing Prosper playfully to the ground. Prosper laughed. The sound echoed around the cave. It mixed with the canal sloshing against the stone, unaware that the cave was the secret hideout of two boys who had been first best friends, then lovers. Scipio smiled. It felt good to be this happy again. It felt good to have somewhere he belonged and Prosper...well...he was the best thing of all.


End file.
